Nothing There
by FaceTrip
Summary: Sam's world is slowly shattering around her. Each day the gutters become filled with blood and people disappear off the streets. Sam tries to find answers but all she sees are people blind to the chaos. Will she be able to save the world from fate?
1. The Boy on the Hill

**Hello peeps. Just some info on this story. It was inspired by the question"what if KH was rated M?" so there will be blood and swearing especially in the later chapters. This story has few to no kingdom hearts characters so do not expect them. This story is complicated so watch for foreshadowing and kh references. Btws the quotes at the start of each chapter are only transitions and you do not need to know the story which they are from. Please comment and critize**

_**Chapter 1**_

"_Maybe it was fate that we met today, well if you believe in that sort of thing." –Hei, Darker Than Black_

"Bye Sam, see you tomorrow"

I wave back at Lola, and shuffle the book bag under my arm. I push against the door with my hand swiftly, not looking back at the dusty library shelves. I sigh, "I'm finally out of the library and only working there two hours tomorrow." I smile to myself and race down the stairs to the park. The swings sway lightly in the breeze. As I walk down the asphalt path, a gleam of light catches my eye. I look up at the hill beside the park, where I thought I saw the little light. On the hill a guy sits, he looks about my age. His legs are curled up and his head lies on his knees. He lifts his head up toward me; I look away before we make eye contact. "_That creep better not follow me home_" I think to myself. Darn it, I forgot my pepper spray. "_You knew there would be creeps out at 9pm, Sam_" I think to myself, "_Just don't look back and listen for foots steps_." I quicken my pace. All I hear is the sharp sound of crickets, and my shoes sweeping across the pavement. When I get past the fence the curiosity over takes me.

"Just a quick look, to see if he is still there" I casually look over my shoulder. He is still sitting there curled up. All I can see is his silhouette, he looks so mysterious with the low sunset and almost…. sad. I stand there for a minute wondering what he is thinking about.

"_What am I doing? I need to get home before nightfall."_

I half sprint the rest of the way to my house. I loudly slam the door shut, and lock it. I double-check the lock before bringing my book bag to my room. I can't get that guy out of my head; the thought of him sitting on the hill in the dark makes my insides twist and my blood run cold.

-The next morning, I twist the key in the lock, then let the screen door slam behind me. I drop my keys into my book bag and switch hands for holding my thermos. It's way to early for the sun to be up, yet there it was. I yawn and take a swig of coffee. This has been one of the roughest mornings ever. I had this crazy dream about the boy on the hill. Instead of looking away from him, like I did yesterday, I kept looking at him while his head lifted. He had red demon eyes and an evil grin. I fist almost got my alarm clock stuck in the wall when it went off this mourning.

I yawn again as I pass through the hole in the fence. I look up at the top of the hill. No one is there. "Of course nobody is there! He wouldn't spend a whole night sitting on a stupid hill. Stop acting like a silly fan girl." I walk up the stairs, counting each step that I take, trying to clear my mind. I swing open the door at the top of the steps.

"Zoning out?" Lola asks. I almost run into a cart by the counter. "No" I grumble and take a gulp of coffee. I walk behind the desk and lounge in a chair, staring at my thermos. "Were you dumped? You look grumpier than usual." "I was not dumped, I'm not even dating" I take a sip of coffee, with Lola its always about boys, can't she just get a life. I snicker at my own comment, what am I talking about? I've been thinking about a guy for almost 12 hours straight.

"O great she's lost it"

"I never had it," I answer.

I pull out a stack of books from under the desk and start my work. As I stamp books Lola drowns on about her crush. I believe his name is Josh. I wasn't listening. I look up from my work to check the time on the clock, but the clock was hidden, a boy with sand colored hair looms over my desk. Alarmed, I shuffle my chair into the wall behind me.

"You ok!" Lola asks concern fills her voice.

"Ummm yeah, I'm…ah…"

"Could you help me find a book I'm looking for?" the guy asks politely.

Why didn't I hear him come in? "Ok. I'll be back in a second." I tell Lola, she gives me a weird look. I follow the boy to a bookshelf that is out of sight from the help desk.

"So, what are you looking for, sir?"

He looks calm, but his hands are shaking. I let him think about how to put his words together for about a minute. He probably only planned the asking for help part, who knows how long he sat in front of my desk.

"I don't have all day." I try not to sound too impatient.

"I'm looking for a book on traveling dimensions," he finally mumbles.

I snickered, great one of these kooks, "The sci-fi section is over there, I can't give you a specific title-"

The boy slams his fist into a near by bookshelf. I flinch; the fist is two inches from my head.

"You think this is a joke?" he sneers.

I shake my head no.

"Are you looking for non-fiction then?" I whimper. My try at sounding strong fails miserably. He lowers his fist from the shelf back to his side, "Are you going to help me or not?"

I give a timid smile then scurry to the closest computer. I type ferociously like my life depends on ever keystroke. The boy hovers over my shoulder. I could feel the pressure of his stare cutting through me it makes my stomach turn.

"T-there are two books" I point out, he doesn't move. I write down their number codes and walk over to the shelf where they lay. Each step I take makes me feel a little stronger, and more like I am leading a little kid, then being followed by a sadistic maniac.

I pick out the books and hand them to him; he doesn't accept them.

"Open them and find the information," he snaps.

I let out a sigh and put the books on the table. I start flipping through them. I see the boy pacing impatiently through my peripheral vision, his footsteps are silent.

"There is nothing here on traveling dimensions."

"You positive?"

"As positive that platypuses lay eggs." I hear him groan.

"You know we aren't the only library you can che-" I turn around, he is completely gone. I roll my eyes, and put the books away, I let out the breath I was holding in since he slammed his fist into the bookshelf.

Where was Lola anyway? The one time I needed her… I guess this whole fiasco didn't make much racket. It wasn't like he was yelling at me. You would think she would have heard his fist hit the bookcase though, it was a loud thud. Wasn't it? For some reason I cannot remember his fist making any sound as it hit wood.

My thoughts get interrupted, when Lola sees me, "What happened? Your eyes are watery. Were you crying? Just tell me what's wrong." She whispered to me.

"It's fine, I'm fine. Did he leave?"

"Did who leave?" she gives me her weird look. I laugh at her obliviousness.

"Never mind", I take one last swig of my now cold coffee and go back to stamping.

-I finish up my work, and put the books on a cart for Lola to put away. I pick up my book bag and mug, not even trying to say good-bye to Lola (she is to busy on the phone with Josh anyway.)

I take a step out the door and take my first breath of freedom; the day is beautiful, not to hot and not to humid. Summer is my favorite season, trees are green and make that nice rustle when the wind goes through them, and everyone is in a good mood, well most of the time anyway.

I walk past the small playground and through the park. I don't even glance up the hill, I do not care anymore. I get to the steps of my house and take out the key turning it thoroughly in the lock and open the door. As I close the door I see a dark spot on the sidewalk, I glance at it again and it is gone. Must be a trick of the light. I put my shoes away and rinse out my mug. After that I bring my book bag into my room, I add a can of mace to my bag. Then I leap onto my bed and take out a mystery novel I'm almost done with. I have an hour or two before I'm going to meet Kath at Chipotle. Kath is my shrink, even though she would hate to admit it. I moved into my dead uncle's house so that I don't have to pay for the dorms at college, my parents were concerned so they told Kath, a family friend with a degree in psychology, to check up on me. At least it is just Kath though. I've known her for as long as I can remember. I would probably break ties with my folks if they hired a hard core shrink to make me keep some sanity.

"GRRR I CAN'T BELIEVE THE MAIN CHARACTER DIES AT THE END!" I yell throwing the book onto my bed, it bounces up a little. I throw my head on my pillow and lie down flat, "Sure she was a homicidal psychopath, but she was awesome! And she was framed, darn policeman should have died." I felt bad after saying that but it was true. She didn't deserve a bullet through the brain, she had a family!

I take a deep breath. I get out of my bed and grab a fist full of chocolate from a bag on my desk, and walk through the hall to the computer in my living room. I click on the switch on the floor and press the power button, then flop down in my chair. I shove a piece of chocolate in my mouth. Today sucks. I lie back in the chair and stare at the ceiling waiting to here the music on the computer. Ding-dinga deeep, the computer turns on. I go on the Internet. It flips open to a news site, which has the headline "_Savage Animal Attacks Small Town_". I just laugh at the title someone probably let their stupid guard dog out without a leash. It shouldn't have been funny, but it was nice to know I wasn't the only one suffering today.

I shift gears and go to my email. Oooh, Chipotle coupon! I grin menacingly. I can afford take out for dinner then. I scroll down looking at my unread messages. Shoot I forgot about Christan's birthday tomorrow, great I'm gonna be home late. I face palm, and look through my fingers to see the last unread email "From Mom and Dad" oh brother. I just sent them an email yesterday, can't they give me a little space, sheesh. I'll email them later; I'm not up for it today. I go back to the Chipotle coupon and print it out. I shove the paper in my book bag, and check the weather on my computer before shutting it down. The weather said it would be raining tonight so I grab an umbrella before getting out the door.

-"There was this crazy guy at the library today, he demanded science nonfiction, can you believe that? He was being all menacing for a book. A book! And we did not even have it." I tell Kath as I eat my last spoonful of rice and lettuce.

"How was he being menacing?" Kath asked as she took another sip of pop, her eyes bubble with excitement.

"He hit his fist against a shelf, and he had one of those tones, y'know? The ones that really calm people have when they are angry. Supposedly calm people are the most terrifying when they are angry."

"Yeah I heard that too. You would think you could skip all the crazy people when working at a library." She smiles and takes a bite of burrito, Kath is a slow eater, I've been ready to leave for the past half hour. She still acts like a high schooler even though she is in her mid twenties, or maybe she just acts like this when talking to me.

"The creepiest part is that I saw him again walking here. How many times do you see someone randomly to call it stalking?"

"More than twice, Sam"

I laugh at my own question "I'm really over speculating aren't I?"

She nods "Yeah, Reading those detective novels again?"

I am just about to send her back a good response, when there he is again! Walking right outside the window behind Kath. He is wearing the same thing he wore this morning, dark cargo pants, and red hoodie that darkens at the sleeves. His hands are in his pockets as he casually walks by the window. Maybe to casually I think, as I slump into the chair trying to hide myself from view.

"He's there! Can we call it stalking now?"

Kath looks out the window, "I don't see anyone."

"He already left"

"No wonder your parents wanted me to look after you, you're a wreck." She jokes.

"I'm fine thank you very much, just having a bad day."

"I wouldn't worry about the guy, he sounds like a science geek that threw a little tantrum, and if anything goes bad you got your pepper spray. Just don't use your pocket knife on him, don't want to get sued"

I snicker "Worse he is gonna get today is jabbed with an umbrella"

Kath wraps up her remaining burrito in its tin foil, and we both throw away our trash. "Want to meet again next week? Same day same time?"

"Monday doesn't work for me next week, I'll be bagging groceries. Tuesday works though."

"Ok Tuesday it is then, same time."

We both walk out the door, into the parking lot. "Make sure you keep me posted on your romantic stalker, ok?" I hit her lightly with my umbrella for the comment. Kath stumbles into her car. "See you Tuesday, don't hesitate to call."

"You to Kath!" I wave to her as she drives out of the lot. I start walking over to the gift shop, I stop at the red light, the gift shop is just across the street.

"Hey! Can I talk to you for a second?"

O great the kid is back, "Sure"

"I wanted to apologize about this morning, I shouldn't of exploded on you."

"Thanks for the apology" Tension and pressure came off him in waves. Why did his aura always make me want to puke?

"I was wondering if we could start over, maybe even be friends? I'm new in town and don't know many people here."

"I guess so what's the harm" I put in as much sarcasm as I could "Just don't stalk me or I will so sue you to mars"

He snickered at that, although it sounded more like a sneer. The light turns green. "Since we are friends, I might as well introduce myself, my name is Stephan. And you are?"

"Sam. Are you an actor? Cause that sounded way too formal."

Stephan looked confused "….umm no."

We get across the street "Well this is my stop, see you around"

"Yeah, bye."

-The sky has gotten dark because of the rain. I have my umbrella out and twirl it while galloping through the puddles. I can't wait to get home to eat the Chinese take out I am carrying, the restaurant smelled so good. I would have loved to have just eaten there, but it was almost eight and the sky will only get darker. It took me way to long to find Christan a gift. He is really into supernatural and magic stuff, but I can never find any of that, so I got him a book called "100 Jobs That Are Worse Than Yours". I thought it suited him since he is a janitor at a movie theater.

Wow its dark, I can barely see a thing, they need more lampposts here. I walk by the church, which leads up to the park with the hill; between the two is a figure. It looks like a man hunched over something. As I take a step closer I take out the mace from my bag, just in case he runs at me. I hear thunder in the distance. I am thirty feet away. I take a couple more steps. He turns toward me I freeze in my tracks. Lightning lights up the figure a little. His eyes glow yellow, his crimson sword gleams a little, and I see a dark liquid pool at his feet. When the light disappears his silhouette does as well, but the dark puddle does not. Something solid lies on the dark liquid. Deciding not to go any closer I turn to walk across the street, the rich smell of blood fills my nose.


	2. Opening Doors

Chapter 2

"_All answers lead to the dark, and beyond the dark is only maybe."-In the Lake of the Woods_

_Two bodies were found dead at the roadside this morning. Both bodies were severally mauled and had their hearts missing. From the claw marks on the bodies, it is evident that this is the work of a pack of wild dogs. No witnesses have come forward with information as of yet. If you have any information regarding this case please contact the police. For phone number and address see back of page._

I close the paper. It took forever to find the article; it was a very small thing, by the obituaries. I rub my eyes and pour myself another cup of coffee; I didn't get a wink of sleep last night. The scene just kept replaying in my head, the lightning lighting up the figure then it disappearing in the night, and all the blood. Ok, Sam stop thinking about it; you are going to drive yourself crazy. Breathe; you called the police, that is all you can do.

I spent all night trying to forget. I watched as many sappy romantic comedies as I could find, but I still ended up pacing and eventually freaked out again. I actually sharpened my pocketknife in the middle of the night to make me feel a little safer. I stare into my coffee; this stuff can only last so long. How am I gonna get through my workday? I lay my head on my elbows, and hope for sleep.

I walk into the library almost chipper, I took a 5-hour energy shot about five minutes before I got here.

"Caffeined it up?" Lola asks.

"Yep, couldn't sleep last night or this morning."

"Those mystery novels are gonna kill you one of these days"

"Only if the 'Wild dogs' don't rip me apart first."

"What?" Lola drops the books she was putting on a shelf.

"Just an article in the paper I saw, it's kinda disturbing."

"Eww eww, I don't want to know" Lola picks up the books and puts them away. Then she brings the cart around to the help desk and reloads. "Could you man the help desk for me? I'm leaving after I put these last books away."

"Yep, is Frank gonna be here later?"

"Ah-huh, I believe he's going to be here around three"

Good, some breathing time between managers. Frank is ok, he's just way to strict and has to always be right. I just have to keep off his shoes and pretend I'm mute. Everything should be just fine. The lightning and the dark pool flash through my head. I Take a deep breath and stumble to the help desk. I take out the book I have stashed away in a drawer, and let it consume my thoughts.

I hear deep breaths in front of the help desk. Is that who I think it is?

"Luke, (breath) I am your father"

"Nooo…" I say monotonly and look up, "Hi, Stephen, right? Need help finding another book?" I pop the "b" in book. He pretends I didn't ask a question. Stephan looks down at me with his hopeful, dark brown eyes.

"What you reading?"

"Children of the Corn"

"Oh"

"You have never heard of the book, have you? Well its about these kids that kill adults to sacrifice them to 'He who walks behind the rows'."

"That sounds creepy" He gives a little shiver. I could still see him reading the book though, smiling at the murderous rampage. The lightning goes through my head again; I can almost smell the blood. I lean my head on my hands, trying to keep my lunch.

"You ok?"

"Just peachy" Wait, why does Stephen's voice sound so low pitched? I look up,

and Frank is in the spot where Stephen was.

-At 5:30, I step out the library doors. I'm meeting Patty and Christan by "The Flamethrower Pizza House" to celebrate Christan's birthday. I check my bag for Christan's present. Not forgotten and almost well wrapped. I didn't get him a card cause I find them boring, why not just say "happy birthday" and "best wishes" in person? Its much easier and they will probably appreciate it more.

I walk down the steps and take a right turn away from the playground. I walk down the street. Far ahead I see my two friends talking to a middle aged man. The man is fairly tall; he is wearing dark blue clothing, a red bandana, and has a small ponytail of dark hair. He looks kinda like a pirate. Is that an eye patch? Yep, what a weirdo. By the time I get there the man walks away. "Who was that?" I ask.

"I don't know probably a tourist or something, he was looking for his nephew." Christan answers, he crosses his arms. He's already bored with the subject.

"I think he's going to some kind of convention. Did you see that scar over his eye? It looks so real! It must have taken hours to put that on."

"I don't think that scar is fake, Patty." I tell her solemnly. He had a warrior's stance; good balance, didn't sway while he walked, took big steps, and his arms were always down arms at the ready.

"You telling me we were talking to a gangster? Or a soldier? That wound probably came from a sword hitting him in the eye. That scar was huge."

"What soldier says the word "Dude", Patty? Anyway lets eat, I'm starving." Christian inserts, then starts walking toward "Flamethrower". Patty and I hurry to catch up.

We take a booth, and start scanning through the menus.

"Ryan made me watch Star Wars again. You two are so lucky to not have a little brother." Patty moans.

"Hey I have my sister to deal with."

"Your sister doesn't throw mud at you and climb you like a jungle gym, Christan!"

Christan drops his hand on the table; each one of his fingernails is painted a different color.

"Harsh" I say looking at the nails for a second then looking back at the menu, "Y'know that stuff is permanent, right?"

"WHAT?"

"Settle down, you are so gullible." Patty breaks the joke.

The waiter comes by; we order a pitcher of root beer, and a pepperoni pizza. Christan hands her the menus. Before she leaves the waiter adds "Nice nails." Immediately Christan crosses his arms and slumps in the booth. Patty and I can't hide our smirks. After the waiter is out of earshot he grunts, "I'm not giving her a tip."

"On a different note" Patty says takes out her present "Happy birthday!" I take out my present as well. Christan opens mine first, he laughs at the gag gift book. After he finishes opening Patty's present, shards of silver and candles, he gets an evil glint in his eye. No, not another stupid scheme!

"Tonight we are sleeping over at Patty's house."

"What? Why?" I respond, I don't like the sound of this; I'm tired as it is.

"Patty's house is haunted, by a _mysterious _ghost. It unlocks and relocks her door every day at 9am and 11 pm! Give me a solid explanation for that!" Christan did spirit fingers when he said mysterious to give it emphasis (eye roll).

"Ok, ok, I'll come with you guys on this lame excursion." I groan, there is no way I could talk my way out of this on his birthday. I whisper to Patty, "Why did you tell him this?"

"He was depressed, ok! His dad kicked him out of the house today."

"Don't worry you will get sleep, and it will be fun. We could play Halo, and poker while we wait for eleven o'clock." Christan butts in, he is smiling like a leprechaun. This is going to be a long night.

-Patty, Christan, and I sit in the hall right by the main door to Patty's house. Christan gave each of us a cross to "thrust the demon out" with (he has no idea if it's a demon or a poltergeist so we are trying a little "magic" for both). I fiddle with my cross, while Patty holds onto hers for dear life, and Christan set his cross beside him on the floor. We sit there with every light in the house on, except for her parents' room and her brother's room. We would have never stayed alive this long if the lights were out. All of us are so tense, each moan and creak of the house makes us jump.

All of us stare at the lock on the front door. All we know is that the ghost entered every night around 11pm, so we have to be ready for anything, we put down a layer of chalk around the whole perimeter of the house (Patty's mom hated this idea, Christan's persuasive tactics were the only reason she let us set out the chalk.) we have unlit candles and matches. We didn't want to take any chances.

The clock chimed 11. All of us leap to our feet and the first chime. The screen door swings open. All of us huddle together. Christan gets the matches ready, for if the crosses don't work. Slowly the lock on the door begins to turn.

"Leave demon, you are not welcome here!" Patty yells over and over while holding the cross in front of her (Patty's parents and her brother went over to a hotel to escape the chaos earlier). I whisper to myself "Go away, go away." I hold the cross to my heart.

The door clicks open. Christan hits a match, and lights a candle. Patty yells louder and Chris joins in. Slowly the lock starts moving again, back to the locked position. They chant faster, I join in. The lock clicks shut, and the screen door slams.

We all cheer like we've won the lottery. All of us stand up doing victory dances. "The demon is gone!"

Christan cries, "Best birthday ever!" We settle down a little bit, all of us grinning from ear to ear.

Crash! Bang!

"What was that?" I whisper.

"Glass?" Christan adds.

We sneak up the stairs. Chris leads the way, barely. We get to the computer room, and open the door. There are shards of glass all over the floor, and the window is obliterated.

"Well, we know what the crash was." I hope, my remark sounded positive. Patty stands there stunned.

"Let's go get something to clean this up with" Chris leads Patty back down stairs.

I look into the room. What was that bang sound? It could have been the door, the door is shut. Hmm… I look at all the glass, trying to see what shattered the window. I don't see anything, maybe it hit the windowsill and bounced back, doesn't seem likely, but plausible. We will probably find something after we clean up the glass. I turn around, there is a door across the hall, I don't remember it being there the last time I came here. I turn the knob to open it. Shoot, its locked.

Patty and Christan walk up the stairs with a dustpan and a garbage bag.

"Is there a key to this door?"

"Nope, never was and never will. The people who owned this house before said they lost the key, and so far we still haven't been able to open that door. We even tried a lock smith." Patty answers me.

We clean up all the glass and find nothing that could of penetrated the window.


	3. Shadows

**Chapter 3**

"_I just want to feel safe again, to be able to walk down the street without having to look over my shoulder"-Misaki, Darker Than Black_

The door shuts quietly. Patty's dad must be leaving for work, I start falling back into sleep.

"It's back." Christan groans, and face palms.

I look up at the clock its says nine o'clock. I snicker a little, "all for nothing." I close my eyes again, trying to get back to sleep on the hard floor. I smell toast burning, Patty must already be up. Christan gets up from the couch, and walks over to the kitchen looking for a glass. I try to go back to sleep. It took us two hours last night to clean up all the glass and put plastic wrap on the window. I smell bacon, "Ok, I'm up"

All of us eat at the kitchen table in silence. "The bacon is good" I add hoping someone would back me up, Patty just nods. Christan is in too much of a daze about what went wrong with the exorcism to realize I said anything. They both avoid eye contact with me like they are afraid. I must have been sleep walking last night and freaked them out or something.

I finish up my plate, and put the dishes away. "Well, umm, I got to get home, plants to water. Patty, tell me if you need any help with the window or extra money for it." Patty nods again. I sneak out the front door with my pillow and stuff. I hesitate before turning the lock to the unlocked position.

After taking a shower, and putting on some clean clothes I walk out to the garden. Its not huge, but still needs some maintenance. I move the rain bucket, from where it lay under my roof, and dump some of it on my little cherry tree. Then I pour the rest on the white hostas; I skip over the roses. I put the bucket back by the roof. I sit down on a bench in the shade and stare out into the garden. Everything is so peaceful; I close my eyes to feel the soft wind sweep across my face. I smile, thankful for summer. Something doesn't feel right. I try to focus on the wind. Still in the background I have this sinking feeling like I'm being watched. I open my eyes looking for a neighbor or a small animal in the yard. Nothing.

Suddenly a shadow moves across the yard, from the hostas to the shade by my bench. I leap to my feet standing on my bench. What the hell was that! I look at the shade, it no longer looks as comforting as it did a second ago. I leap off the bench, landing in the sunlight and scurry into my house. I run over to the kitchen window that looks out on to the yard, not even stopping to take my shoes off. I stare out into the yard afraid to move. I don't know what was out there, but I'm not sure I want to either. After a long stare out the window I give up finding it, and turn on the tv in the kitchen.

"_Simply amazing Donna! You cooked_-" Lame.

"_Tonight on the Late show_-" Commercials.

"_Open the door, and the knowledge_-" Religious show.

"_Problems are accruing all over the Tri-state area. Most involve the sheep infestation_-" Looks like some kids show, cute but not for me.

"_Malcolm! Come back here! We are not done_-" Fake comedy show.

"_Everyone listen up! The darkness is in coming! It shall devour us all and steal our hearts_!" –Bleh, dramatic movie. Where is the news? Oop! Found it.

I start taking out bread for a sandwich, listening closely to the news.

_Four out of the five officers in the police patrol disappeared last night while looking for the pack of dogs responsible for the resent crimes around Shadow Ridge. The policeman that got away from the abduction believes he saw what had happened to the other officers. He is currently in rehab, he is said to be having hallucinations due to the traumatic event._

I take out a knife and slab some jelly and peanut butter on my sandwich. Don't they get it? There were no frickin dogs! If anything they should call it gang related. Police officers just happen to disappear while looking for the killer, coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence. The police would have thought the two were related if the killings didn't look so much like animal attacks.

I throw the knife in the dishwasher and put away the two jars of peanut butter and jelly. Then I take out a water bottle for lemonade.

_In other news, in Shadow Ridge the amount of miscarriages have gone up. Scientists are studying this new phenomenon to find the cause._

I screw on the cap of my water bottle and take a bag of chips out of the cupboard. I throw all the food into my book bag, and turn off the tv. I check my bag for the pocketknife and mace. Evil doesn't care what time of day it is.

-As I walk up to the hill I see a sign for a lost collie. Poor dog, it looks so cute. I walk up the hill and plop down on the top in a very sunny spot. It's a good day for a picnic, as long as the shadowy thing doesn't come back. It probably was just a shadow of a bird or something.

I sigh and look at the view, while I put a chip in my mouth. I can see most of the village, the Flamethrower Pizza House, and many billboards. The gift shop is almost hidden behind the billboards. I take a deep breath of fresh air; the air always seems cleaner up here. Maybe because it's closer to the sky.

"Hey, Sam!"

I open my eyes and see Stephan running up the hill. "Hey," I reply, not sure I want to lose my alone time. He gets up the hill and sits down next to me, panting.

"So (breathe) what are you doing up here?"

"Eating a sandwich what does it look like I'm doing?" I take a bite of sandwich, getting jelly all over my face. Stephan laughs at me. I wipe the jelly off my face with the back of my hand.

"By the gift shop, you said you just came here. Where are you from?" I ask trying to make the encounter less awkward with some conversation. In truth I just felt like a stalker.

"Far away, you wouldn't have heard of it"

"Try me."

"Djibouti"

"Nope, haven't heard of it" I awkwardly smile at my lack of knowledge.

"Told you."

"Is it a city or a country?"

"Both."

"How?"

"Djibouti city is in the country of Djibouti"

"Ooh…..Do you miss it?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little bit? Why not?"

"It's a nice place and all, but I just have bad memories of the place."

"Are you a refugee then?"

Stephan snickers at that, "No, it's just….family stuff" He looks up at the sky.

"So you left your whole family in Jiabouti?"

"Djibouti, yep. Just a dad and a brother though."

"You weren't very close to them?"

"He was my dad's favorite."

"That sucks." I finish up my sandwich. I show him the bag of chips to see if he wants any. He shakes his head no. There is a long silence.

"Want to see a magic trick?" Stephan asks, his eyes have that hopeful spark again. The color of his eyes look lighter in the sunlight like milk chocolate.

"Sure"

He holds out his hand in a fist. "Touch my hand."

I give him a weird look.

"I'm not flirting, ok?" Stephan reassures me. I put my hand on his. His hand feels strong, and hard. I was surprised at how big his hands are. I could not feel the heat coming from it though.

"Now hold out your hand the same way I did." I pull my hand away and put it in a fist. He moves his hand toward mine. My hand shakes a little bit from my nervousness. He puts his hand on top of mine, but instead of staying on top of it, his hand falls right through. It looked so real.

"WHAT THE-? How did you do that!"

"A true magician never reveals his secrets."


	4. People at the doorstep

Chapter 4

"_Who are you and how did you get here?" 'I'm a locksmith… I'm a locksmith."-Unknown_

I wake up in the middle of the night parched. I glance at the clock, 1:00am. I groan and pull myself out of bed. I walk over to the kitchen and fill up the glass by the sink with water. I take a couple sips and put the glass back by the sink. I walk back to my room wiping the water from my cheek. When I get through the door, there is a scratching on the window. It gradually gets louder. I am unsure whether to check the window or just ignore it. It is probably just a raccoon or something; my room is on the first floor. The raccoon will go away in a couple minutes. I lay down on my bed. The scratching just gets louder. There is no way I'm gonna sleep through that. I get up from my bed and heave myself over to the window, ready to make as much noise as possible to get that animal to leave. I open the shade.

Giant yellow eyes stare at me from behind the glass. I freeze in my tracks. All of my instincts tell me to run from this unearthly creature. But all I do is stare back at the monster, wide eyed, and afraid to breathe.

"Step away from the window," Stephan's voice pulls away the terror. I turn around and take a step to the side away from the window. His eyes are a bright amber in the moonlight, and in his hand, a crimson blade. It looks like…no it can't be.

"How did you, why are you?"

"Just go back to sleep." Stephan says calmly. My eyes begin to droop, my knees buckle, I slide down the wooden end of my bed onto the floor.

"Stephan!" My eyes flash open. I rip away my covers and run to the window. Wait, covers? I thought I fell asleep on the floor. Was it just a dream? No, it could not have been a dream. It was too real, the water, the cold floor. Who am I kidding? There is no way Stephan could have gotten in here, all the doors are locked. I race out of my room and check the front and back doors. Both of them are locked. So it was a dream. But the shade is open! I always sleep with the shades down. I could have been sleep walking. It would not have been the first time. What has gotten into me? Shouldn't I be happy it was a dream? It means Stephan is not the killer. For some reason instead all I feel is empty. I slide down a wall unto the floor. I put my hands to my ears, trying to shut everything out.

Ding-Dong

Go away. The bell rings again. I moan and walk back to my room and grab a bathrobe from my closet to cover up my pajama dress. I drag myself over to the front door. I look through the peephole. Why is there a party here? I open the door; six people stand on my doorstep. Only two of them make eye contact with me the rest are looking everywhere else, at the street, behind the house, anywhere but straight. One woman seemed to stare through me. It freaks me out. I am gland when she is not the one that starts speaking.

"Excuse me ma'am, were you the one that called in the information on the animal attacks a couple days ago?"

I groan, "Yes"

The man looks me in the eye and gives me a business card. "If you find any more information on the 'animal' attacks, or anything else you find weird or out of the ordinary, don't hesitate to call."

I nod and take the card. They start walking down the street. Before I shut the door, I hear a woman say, "That was her."

As I walk into the library I glance at the bulletin board. A bunch more lost pet signs have been put up. I walk over to the help desk. Lola is sitting there face down on the desk.

"What is wrong, Lola?"

"He stood me up." Lola whimpers. As she lifts her head, she wipes tears away. "Josh said we were going to meet at the fancy Italian restaurant in the village last night."

"He could have gotten stuck in traffic."

"I waited three hours for him and he never showed. I called him and texted him a dozen times, he hasn't called back. It never takes him more than an hour to respond. It has been almost a day!" Lola blows her nose in a tissue.

"Maybe he just forgot, he probably didn't mean to not be there."

Lola wails, "I've been thrown away. Gone, trashed! He's found someone else." Tears stream down her face.

"Pull yourself together, Lola! You don't need some guy. You can stand on your own two feet. If he calls, he calls, and if he doesn't you move on. Don't pull yourself into a hole."

Lola shakes her head, and wipes her eyes with a tissue, "Maybe you are right. I don't need some stupid guy telling me what to do. I am my own person." Lola stands up from her desk. "And if I ever see Josh again, I'll give him a piece of my mind!" Lola walks into the back room, slamming the door behind her. Umm, that wasn't exactly what I meant.


	5. In Sight

**_Hello readers, sorry for taking so long on this chapter. It's one of my favorites thus far so I hope it's worth the wait. If you have anything to say please review. Good or bad, they are always appreciated._**

Chapter 5

"_There are two types of monsters. The first can be redeemed and most importantly wants to be redeemed The second is void of humanity, cannot respond to reason, or love." –Giles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer_

I walk out of the library, exhausted by sorting books all day. It's dinnertime. I have no idea what I'm gonna cook, but I'm starving. I walk into the playground. Patty and Christan are sitting on a park bench with a grocery bag like they are waiting for me. I walk over to them, "What are you doing here? I thought you had work today, Patty."

"She took the day off to help a friend." Christan says looking straight into my eyes. Patty only stares at her knees.

"What happened? Did someone get hurt?" I ask, afraid of what might have happened.

"We are here to help you." Patty tells me looking up, she looks very concerned.

"I'm fine. Why did you think something was wrong?"

"You are possessed, Sam." Christan says bluntly and stands up from the bench.

"What? You got to be kidding me."

"We would never kid about this! Why won't you believe us?" Patty replies forcefully.

"Two nights ago, at the sleepover, you were talking in your sleep."

"So? I do that all the time, did I say something embarrassing?"

"Be serious, Sam."

"Why should I be? Both of you clearly are not." I start walking away. Patty grabs my arm, "Please just listen to us." I cross my arms, "Ok, I'm listening."

"Did you have a dream that night?"

"Not that I remember." I roll my eyes at Christan's question; it sounds like I'm talking to an exorcist.

"Do the words '_the last piece of the puzzle_' or'_the light switch_' mean anything to you?"

"Only that you are insane."

"Sam, seriously! You are not well. When was the last night you had a good night's sleep?"

"A couple days ago. Why does it matter?"

"Did anything happen the day you started not being able to fall asleep."

"I can't remember it was a while ago. I don't think anything happened."

"You are hiding something!"

"No, I'm not! What could I possibly be hiding?" The lightning and the pool of blood flash through my head, I block it out.

"Who is Stephan?"

"How do you know Stephan?" I ask back. What does this have to do with possession?

"Answer the question." Christan yells back at me.

"A friend, I met this week."

"The day you started not sleeping well?"

"As a matter of fact, no. What are you hinting at?"

"Has anyone else, seen or talked to Stephan besides you?"

"Yes, of course."

"You positive? You remember someone specifically talking to him."

"What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Just answer the question," Christan demands.

"Hi, Sam." Stephan walks by.

"Hi, Stephan." I wave to him. Christan and Patty stare at me like I spoke martian.

"You can see him, right?" I ask. Patty shakes her head, no. "There is nothing there," She whispers. Christan takes an axe out of the paper bag. He takes a couple steps toward Stephan.

"What are you doing, Christan? Christan! Put the axe down!"

Stephan turns around; his eyes almost bulge out of his head when he sees the axe. He slowly starts to back away from Christan and farther into the field.

"He is hurting you, Sam. Controlling you for his own purposes, don't listen to him." Christan runs out to the field shouting, "Show me who you really are Stephan! Show me your true nature!"

Stephan flinches as Christan yells in his face. Stephan walks around my screaming friend, getting as far from the axe as possible, and walks over to me. I try not to look at him, Patty watches me closely.

"What's his problem?" Stephan stands right next to me.

I look straight ahead, "What are you?"

Stephan takes a step away from me like he is afraid of what I know.

"I guess you figured everything out," He laughs.

"Demon, are you to afraid to face me? You weakling! Rather attack the defenseless? You spoke of the overpowering darkness. Where is that power now!" Christan screams into the quiet air. Suddenly the wind seems to have a kind of pressure  
>to it, I can feel it pulling me down. Patty looks around terrified.<p>

"He wants a demon? Be careful what you wish for. I'll show you the power of darkness!" Stephan yells at Christan. Christan does not even notice, and keeps cursing the air. Darkness floats around Stephan's right hand, solidifying into a crimson blade. It has an axe like head on the blade, and a blue eye on the hilt.

"Stephan, don't." I command him. Stephan pays no attention to me. He runs at Christan, blade at the ready. Christan stands with his back to us oblivious of the danger.

"Christan!" I scream. He turns around. Stephan pulls his blade back and attacks Christan furiously. Christan doesn't have time to make a sound. Stephan artful throws each stroke, quickly slicing up Christan. I fall to my knees; a tear runs down my check. Patty's mouth drops as she sees Christan being beaten up by an invisible foe.

Christan drops to the ground. Stephan looks at his handy work smiling. Christan puts his hand around the axe and stands up swinging the axe around, "Is that all you got demon!" One swing makes contact with Stephan's chest. "Got a hit," Christan grins as he sees the blood on the axe. Stephan takes a couple steps back holding his wound, "You are gonna pay for that."

Patty runs to Christan, I follow her, "Patty, no!" Christan continues to swing the axe; Stephan easily dodges the swings that are close. Stephan's eyes go yellow, and he leaps into the air. Patty puts her arms around Christan's shoulders and neck.

"Come on lets just go." She pleads.

Stephan falls down from the sky making contact with the blade. It slices deep into Patty's arm. She screams.

Christan takes Patty's hand, and runs for my house (the closest one). I follow quickly behind.

"Giving up already? I'm just getting started!" Stephan yells at us.

Before we hit the fence Stephan appears in front of us. I run to him, rip my pocketknife out of my bag, and sink it deep into Stephan's arm. Stephan yelps, and jumps back. We continue running to the house.

I quickly take out my house key, putting away the pocketknife as well. I open the door, and let Patty and Christan inside. No sign of Stephan. I jump inside, and lock the door. My book bag is dropped in the hallway. I take a toilet paper roll from the bathroom and throw it to Christan. He starts wrapping up Patty's bloody arm. I find more bandages, mostly just small Band-Aids, and run back to my friends. I put a Band-Aid on the toilet paper soaking up Patty's blood to keep the mess together.

"Christan, take off your shirt."

"It's just some scratches."

"Take it off!"

"Ok! Geez." Christan takes off his shirt. He was right it was only scratches. A lot of scratches, but still scratches. Stephan must have held back.

Scratching and pounding echoes down the hall.

"I guess Stephan finally showed his true form after all," Christan says.

I look at the door where the noise is coming from. My eyes start to water. I shake it off, "I'm going to call the ambulance."

I ask them to come by quickly for Patty. I pray Stephan doesn't do anything to the help. I avert my gaze from the windows. I really don't want to see what is out there.

I put antibiotics on Christan's wounds.

"Why did you ever trust that monster?"

I swallow hard, "He's not a monster." I whisper. I finish up the antibiotics and put the stuff away.

"He's still tricking you isn't he." Christan puts his shirt back on.

"Shut up, Christan. She is hurting a lot more than we are." Patty tells him.

"I should have stopped him." My tears start to run, "I'm sorry."

"Its not your fault. Possession sucks." Christan smiles at me and wipes away a tear.

"It wasn't possession though! He was my friend."

The scratching on the door ceases. We sit in silence for a moment. The doorbell rings a while later. I look through the peephole. The paramedics are here. I open the door. Christan helps Patty get into the ambulance. I walk over with them, watch them get into the back, shut the doors, and drive away. I wave to them until they are out of sight. I turn around to go back into the house. Stephan is sitting on my porch. His hair has darkened to a solid black.

"If you want forgiveness you are not going to find it here." I hiss at him.

"Who said I was looking for forgiveness?"

The anger sets in. "Go die in a hole!" I snap at him. He flinches.

"What the hell were you thinking! Let's be friends so I can have someone else to dice. Yeah, I know about the bodies you leave bleeding in the allies. And what do you do with the hearts, hmm? Freeze'em as trophies? You are disgusting. How did you get into my room last night anyway?"

Stephan looks down at the cement, "I'm good with locks."

"Don't try to be smart with me." I walk over to the door.

"Good job on the acting by the way. For a while I actually believed you were an exchange student from Djibouti."

"It helps when you fool yourself." Stephan replies. Great he's playing up to me again.

"Why did you kill them?"

"I didn't."

"I suppose you didn't try to behead my friend either."

"What was I suppose to do? Give him a pat on the back and tell him 'You got it all wrong dude, I'm just another guy.' I AM INVISIBLE DAMIT. He wouldn't have noticed if I screamed in his ear and punched him in the face."

"So you rip him to shreds, to get him to bug off." I reply mockingly.

"I couldn't leave him screaming to the wind."

"You know what? I don't care about your reasons. Just disappear, ok? I never want to see you around here again." I slam the door shut behind me and lock it. Before I walk into the kitchen to get dinner started I hear Stephan yell at me through the door, "Don't scream my name when they rip your heart out!"

A shiver crawls down my spine.


	6. Holmes, Guardians and Gambling

Chapter 6

"_Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Others stay awhile and leave footprints on our heart and we are never ever the same" -Unknown_

I wake up the next morning startled, had another nightmare. I can't remember what it was about, something with popcorn, a hairdryer, all my friends, and a whole lot of blood. I wake up about an hour before my alarm clock goes off. The sky is still dark. I change my clothes to jeans and a plain t-shirt for working at the grocery store. I put a bagel in the toaster. I need something to read for the bus ride. I think of the books on my shelves. _Holmes_! I walk over to the shelf, to tired at the moment to be very excited. I take down my copy of _The Hound of Baskervilles. _ A piece of paper catches my eye on the top of the shelf. It is the business card given to me by those weird people yesterday. The card reads in large gold letters _The Guardians _and under it a smaller description "_Protection from the paranormal and unusual_" and a phone number. I pick up the card. Stephan is very paranormal. I think for a minute and put the card back down. I have no reason to trust these "Guardians". Best not to get to many people involved anyway. Who knows the reasons Stephan kills for anyway? Probably it is less than "self defense".

I walk over to my room and pick up my bag, stuffing the thick hard cover book into it. I pour myself a glass of orange juice and spread strawberry cream cheese on my bagel. I fetch the newspaper, and start chowing down on my breakfast. I still have a while before catching the bus. I look over the newspaper scanning the headlines.

"More People Missing in Shadow Ridge"

"_Animal Attacks Become More Frequent"_

It's not animal attacks! I stuff my bagel in my mouth and shut the paper. I fail at folding it back up and throw it on a corner.

-"I would like to buy 5 more scratch off cards. The ones with the birds on them."

This old lady has a gambling problem. I try to act friendly and smile as I give her five more cards to add to her stack. She is holding up the line, and I only have a couple minutes left on the clock. The lady takes ten minutes to scratch off the cards. "Can I have five more cards with the birds on them?" She won five dollars, enough to buy more cards.

"Sorry, but only fifty scratch cards per customer."

"But…"

"Sorry ma'am. Is there anything else you would like?"

"No, not really." She smiles at me with a little bit of a shocked look on her face, like the weight of the time and money she wasted finally came down on her. I feel sorry for her, but sooo glad she is leaving. I ring up two more customers before I'm off the clock. I have Paul take my spot, and I head for the bus.

I wait about half an hour before a bus comes by. Darn Bus Company needs to follow its own schedule. I walk into the bus and give a sheepish smile to the bus driver. He is scrawny, balding, chewing gum and not paying any attention to the customers. I drop my bus pass into the slot. I find a spot for me in the middle of the bus. Only a couple people are here, waiting for their destinations. I take out _Holmes_ from my bag and flip the pages to where I left off from the last bus ride. Books have always been a good barrier for me to ignore the other people on the bus. Never know what weirdo could try to give you their life story.

The bus makes a stop. I don't even look up. It is still a ways to go to get to Shadow Ridge. Enough time for Holmes to find another piece of the puzzle, or play his violin, maybe even yell at Watson.

"Hi, is this seat taken?"

I move my bag unto my lap without looking up. Aren't there still seats open?

"What you reading?" I close my book; clearly she won't let me read.

"_Hound of Baskervilles_," I answer solemnly, putting the book into my bag.

"Having a bad day? You seem a little angry."

I look up at her and flinch. She looks about fourteen, with a double French braid combining in the back. Her pulled back hair reveals a large scar that crawls from her forehead past her neck. Her hands are also very scarred.

Great, now I see dead people.

The girl moves her braid over her scar when she sees me flinch. "I've had a rough week, too." She says smiling.

She looks familiar, but I don't know why, and no name comes to mind.

"So…where are you heading?" I ask trying to find a different subject.

"The next stop, Ventana Drive. I have something I want to give you."

"Huh?" This is so random; this has to be a dream.

"Hold out your hand." I do as she asks. For a second I have Stephan déjà vu, this girl and he both have the same poise. Think of something else! Get that dirty murderer out of your head!

The girl drops a big green marble in my hand.

"What is it?"

"It's lucky. You looked like you might need it."

"I don't really-"

"I insist!" The girl looks kinda nervous about me taking it, like she doesn't know if it is ok. She stands up and pulls the cord for the next stop. I shuffle the marble in my hand.

"Oh! Almost forgot. Don't worry about the floods." The girl stands up, "They are harmless." She waves at me while she exits the bus with a big smile. I give her an unsure wave. Floods? I didn't hear about anything like that on the news. Weird girl.

I bring my attention back to the marble. What is so special about this thing anyway? I put it between my thumb and forefinger and raise it up to the light of the sun breaking through the cloudy sky. The inside of the marble sparkles. I smile, maybe it is lucky. Something inside the marble clicks. I don't notice it and put it into my jean pocket.


	7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Chapter 7

"_For years the girl had been made to hide from danger, and now the world had caught up to her at last."-Fell, David Clement-Davies_

I saunter down the sidewalk, feeling the marble in my pocket. The humidity is starting to really set in. Sweat glistens on my forehead. The food I stuffed into the slow cooker this morning out of laziness doesn't sound even close to as appetizing as it did this morning.

My footsteps clop on the cement. A bubble noise, like sludge, is heard behind me. What is that? I turn around. A black creature stands in front of me with two long antenna, sharp claws, and yellow eyes. I look down at it; the little monster is about two feet tall. The creature lunges at me I take a step back, barely dodging the attack. A couple more shadows move on the ground toward me, they bubble up and look just like the first monster. I back up faster. I have a bad feeling about this. One of the demons grabs onto my right leg ripping through flesh and trying to crawl up me. I scream and shake my leg. The monster climbs to my hip. I take out my pocketknife and stab it into the creature's head. It disappears releasing a pink heart as I yank the knife out of its head. I run for it. All the monsters are at my heels.

Oh shoot; up ahead a different kind of demon waits for me. This monster is more jagged then the ones behind me. It is a dark blue and has vicious red eyes. The creature is a little taller than the black monsters and has a triangle shaped head. It looks like the leader. I run to the other side of the street to avoid the blue one. It follows me.

A black monster grabs onto the back of my head and starts ripping my hair out. I cringe and run faster, shaking my head and hitting the monster with my fists. The blue monster leaps into the air above my head, ready to attack. I am so done for! Why did I have to take this street?

The blue demon attacks the black creature on my head with pointed arms (it doesn't have claws). Then it leaps over my head. I look back to see the red eyed creature holding off all the monsters, taking them down one by one. I am grateful for the distraction, and run as fast as I can the rest of the way home.

-I wake up the next morning feeling like crap.

Snot runs down my throat and swirls in my stomach. I think I'm going to puke. I run over to the toilet for a spit up session. My leg flares up from the weight of walking on it. I look over the claw marks from yesterday. They are going to take a couple days to heal. I limp over to a cabinet and grab some bandages. My stomach bubbles up again. I throw the bandages at the sink as I run for the toilet . I reach the it just in time to keep the acid off the floor. I wipe some of the puck off my mouth, flush the toilet and wash my hands. I prop my leg up on the toilet seat to look for any infected spots. I rip off the dirty bandaids and add new ones. My leg looks like a giant band-aid. I don't see any marks peaking through let alone any skin.

I grab the phone, and a yogurt, and plop myself on the couch. There is no way I'm going to work to day. I blow my nose. I dial the phone, calling Paul to fill in for me. He agrees, so I hang up and sigh. Thank you, Paul! Some more junk starts creeping up my throat, I swallow it. Now might be a good time to get a bucket.

I put the puke bucket by the couch and dig into my boysenberry yogurt. I flip the channel to the news.

_The body count at Shadow Ridge reached an all time high last night. Citizens living in the area are hereby informed to not leave buildings for long periods of time, and only when absolutely necessary._

The tv shows a picture of bloody streets and police looking at the bodies. Oh God! My stomach starts to turn. I scramble for the remote and turns off the tv. Did they really have to show that? I stare at my yogurt playing with the gooey goodness. My appetite is shot. I put the yogurt back in the fridge. I walk back into my room with the bucket. Maybe I should lay down for a little bit.

I grab the green marble from my nightstand. A migraine shoots through my head. I fall to my knees and drop the marble. I quickly shuffle to my closet and pick up some aspirin, ignoring the pain in my leg. I swallow the aspirin with out water; the migraine fades a little bit. I pick up the green marble from the floor and let myself drop onto my bed. I roll the marble in my hand and through my fingers. My eyes start to droop. I hear the door open, and two sets of footsteps. My eyes close. What are people doing in my house? They shouldn't be here! I try to move, but I can't.

The footsteps come closer and closer until they sound in my room. "Good, Mercy did what she was told. I had my doubts." A man says. In my head, I cringe at the sound of his voice.

"I didn't think she had the stomach for it." A woman snoots.

Who is Mercy? I wonder. One of the people lifts me from my bed. I hear the marble drop onto the floor, then I black out.


	8. A Shade of Dark Grey

**Chapter 8**

"_A servant of the world, and if I am a servant, you should consider yourself a tool at best." –Diz, Kingdom Hearts II_

I wake up in a gray room; my eyes are sticky from sleep. There are office lights on the ceiling and a wall of glass that reflects the room. I try to move my hands, but they are tightly tied to the chair. The rope and handcuffs cut into my wrists. How long was I unconscious?

A man across from me realizes I am awake and moves the chair he is sitting on closer to me. His hair is slick with grease; he wears a nice buttoned shirt with a tie. The only thing that may be considered unbusiness-like about him is his wrinkled up sleeves. The man places his chair two feet in front of me with an echoing thunk, and sits down.

He politely smiles at me, which terrifies me because of the situation. Kidnappers smiling, is NEVER a good sign.

"So let's get right down to it." His voice is the same one I heard in my bedroom. "You have information we want, and you will tell us." He greatly emphasized the word will.

"Could I have your name before you milk me for info?

"My name is of no importance here."

I give him my best impression of a hero, although my brain is kinda fuzzy from either drugs they gave me or sleeping too long, "What do you want?"

"This town is slowly rotting because of you."

"What?" He better not try to brainwash me.

"Your dark heart has attracted monsters, one of which you know well."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I am talking about!" The man quickly gets up from his chair and starts circling me like a vulture. I don't say a word and watch him carefully. He stands behind me out of my eyesight. He grabs onto my hands hard.

"You called the police and told them you saw the person responsible for the 'animal attacks' correct?"

"Yes, I did and they called me crazy." His hands felt cold, my fingers crunched together in his grasp.

"Who did you see?"

"Someone in a hood with a sword." Are they asking me if I know Stephan?

"Did you know him?"

"It was dark out, I could not see him clearly."

"How do you know it's a him then?" I try not to shiver.

"I don't, I'm just guessing." The man twists my first finger until it pops. Pain shoots up my arm. I scream.

"You know something. Tell us the truth, or more pain will befall you."

"I don't know anything, ok!" He twists my middle finger. I scream again, and let out deep breaths. "Want do you want from me?" My voice cracks.

"The information." He twists my ring finger. Tears start to run down my face. "He has gotten to you first hasn't he, or has the darkness swallowed you? His mind tricks only go so deep." He hisses into my ear, I flinch. I brace myself for more finger dislocating, but there is none. He walks to the door. "This is not the end, Samantha," He shows me a businesslike smile and slams the door. I try to brush the water from my checks with my shoulder. Dark hearted my ass! Someone full of darkness wouldn't cry…would they?

My stomach grumbles. Feels like I have been sitting in this room alone for hours. Suddenly the door swings open, revealing a large man with no hair. The bald guy carries a staff and food. He has food! I start to salivate, I feel kind of like a dog on a leash. The Man leans the staff against the wall and sits down where the business guy was a couple hours before. The man takes out a fork and eats a spoonful of rice. What? You got to be kidding me, and I thought finger tugging was torture. He licks his lips and reaches for another bite.

"Can I have some?" I sound pathetically innocent.

He stuffs another spoonful of rice in his mouth, "Why should I feed a monster like you?" Some food shoots out of his mouth as he speaks.

"I'm not a monster." This is really getting on my nerves, what do they plan to accomplish through this anyway?

"Is that what your mother told you?"

"Shut up, pig!"

"Hoohoho, got a temper?" He bites into a slice of chicken. "What do you think it's going to take, hmm? Broken kneecaps? Or full skull shattering?" I flinch. Take for what?

He slurps up the green beans. This guy is evil. What a heartless freak. He finishes off the plate and sets it under his chair. The bald man struts over to his staff. He twirls it around like a baton "Let's start with the kneecaps shall we?"

"How 'bout not." He smiles at the comment, then swings the staff into the air making it come down vertically on my right knee. I bite hard into my lip and scream bloody murder. The door opens revealing the red head girl from the bus, she runs at the large man.

"Stop! You don't need to do this! It's not her fault!" To people grab the girl before she gets to my torturer. The man swings the staff into the air again landing vertically on to my other knee. My knee cracks. I scream again. The girl fights off the guard, but is slowly dragged to the door.

"Mercy, you are not needed here."


	9. Hero on Fire Or villian?

_This chapter maybe a little confusing if you only read the old version of chapter 8 (If you didnt read about finger breaking then you didnt read the old chapter). Sorry about completely switching up that chapter the editing was too confusing for my little mind. Sorry about taking so long to load chapters. I was planning on re reediting them so that they were slightly better, but that didn't work out so well. So I'm up loading the chapters as quickly as I can to finish off this story (Yes i did edit after typing first draft so they are slightly edited) Well enough confusion. TAKE IT AWAY SAM!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

"_Strength of heart can get you through even the most trying of times."-Terra, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep_

I sit in the chair, bruised and alone. I've given up hours ago, after they gave me a meal. My stomach still growls, but I don't care. Time seems to stop in this gray chamber, yet speed up at the same time. My back has been bent for too long. I have bruises all over my body. One of my knees is broken, and my feet are swollen. I probably wouldn't be able to get up even if I wanted to.

Just wasting away in a cell, while who knows how many people watch from behind the glass. I sit there waiting to be put down like an animal, or a monster. Maybe a hammer smashing through my skull would come as a relief. No more pain, no emotions, just disappear. All that would be left is a bloodstain.

The door creaks open. I don't even look up. I hear no footsteps.

"So this is where you were hiding." Stephan tries to make a joke. I sit there emotionless.

"Sorry I took so long. Evil lairs aren't as easy to find as you would think." He jokes again. I see his blade reflect off the floor, even though it didn't show him. Stephan walks behind me.

"Don't touch me!" I scream at him. I am tired of him being there. Disappear already! I'm sick of your lies and pretending. Get out of my head and out of my life.

"Disappear, demon." I tell him monotonely. He doesn't listen to me and cuts the ropes on my hands.

"Demon is it?" He snickers. "Does that make you the damsel in distress?" He whispers something that sounds like a spell. A green light goes around me, and what looks like tree leaves. After a second all of it disappears.

"What did you do?"

"You'll thank me later."

"Get away from me, freak! Is this a stupid mind game? Don't you dare think I'm going along with it!"

"Do you want to get out of here or not?"

"Not with you." Stephan rolls his eyes at me and heads for the door. I try to get up, but my broken knee flares up and I fall to the floor. Stephan hears me fall and walks toward me.

"That's pretty pathetic."

"Shut up!" I rub my knee, trying to push the pain away.

"Sure you don't need any help?"

I submit. "Ok, ok. Are you gonna sit there or help me?" He sits down in front of me, so that I am looking at his back.

"Hop on." He says. I put my arms around his shoulders. He stands up and puts his sword under my legs, and starts walking out of the room.

"I'm not going to sit on your bloody sword!"

"Got a better idea? Don't worry I'm not going to cut you."

I sulk. His hair pokes me in the eye, "Ow!"

"What?"

"Your hair is spiky."

"So you've noticed." He says sarcastically. Wow, Stephan likes to push buttons. He made it sound like I'm so oblivious. Sorry, Stephan, I didn't notice you styled your hair differently. Come to think of it Stephan looks almost completely different from I first saw him. His eyes changed from dark brown to a bright yellow, his sandy hair darkened to a black. His pointed up hair now falls to the sides. Hey, didn't Christan say something about Stephan showing his true form? Is that what is going on?

"Are you going to grow horns?" I ask Stephan.

"What? No. Where did you get that idea?"

"Well, your hair darkened and is pointing to the sides now."

"What does that have to do with horns?"

"Demons, and true forms."

"What is with you and demons?"

"Me? You are the demon here. Sorry, if I want some information." I remark sarcastically. Stephan doesn't answer. "Why don't you ever want to talk about it?"

"Cause I don't!" Stephan snaps at me. We walk in silence for a while. Stephan walks around the bodies on the floor. Did Stephan kill all of them?

"They are just sleeping." I flinch. It was like he knew what I was thinking. We walk out of the building. The light blinds me for a moment even though it is cloudy.

I was surprised to see houses. We are in the middle of a neighbor hood. Was that really someone's basement? Well probably connected basements by how large the stronghold was. Tortured in a basement…sounds like one of those cop shows.

We walk through the neighborhood. I pray that no one looks our way. All they would see is me, floating in the air. I would rather not have to explain that.

Stephan walks in silence. Hopefully he knows where he is going cause I surely don't. I feel so useless. I have no idea where we are, and I can't even walk. Why did those people have to torture me? I didn't do anything. Some of them told me the reason I was there was because I existed, me and my darkened heart.

"Stephan?"

"hmm?"

"It's a random question but; can you see darkness in people's hearts?"

"Yeah, for the most part. Why?"

"Is my heart only darkness?"

"Nope." Stephan answers quickly. It sounded like he didn't even hear the question. We keep walking; I have no idea what to say to his answer. I want to believe it, but his answer sounds fake, like most of what he says.

Stephan struts into a forest a couple blocks from the basement we crawled out of. The forest seems to soak up all the sound. All I can here is the leaves of the trees crackling in the wind.

"You have come along way, dark one." I look up to see where the voice is coming from. It is a red haired girl in a tree. She is blind folded and a large scar creeps down from her forehead. She leaps down in front of us. The girl holds a blade at us; it looks similar in design to Stephan's. The markings on hers are completely different though. Her blade is shiny and smooth with sharp corners. It makes Stephan's blade look rotted and aged.

"I'm sorry we had to use you like this, Samantha. It was the only way to find it." The girl says not lowering her blade.

"Use me? To find what?"

"Your heart of darkness attracts this empty shell." She points the blade at Stephan. How does she know where he is with the blind fold on?

"Don't listen to her." Stephan whispers to me. He starts walking again around the girl. She swings her blade up to Stephan's throat.

"My name is Mercy. And you shall die by my hands." Stephan turns his head to Mercy. There is a brief pause, as Mercy waits for Stephan to make a move. A ball of dark energy whirls in the air and knocks Mercy twenty feet away into a stump of a dead tree.

"Did you-?"

"Shh, we have to keep moving." Stephan avoids my question and runs deeper into the woods. I hear a moan from behind us. I look. Mercy has gotten up. She looks up at me like she can feel me looking at her. She lowers her blade into a battle stance, and leaps at us. I don't even have time to scream. Stephan takes a side step dodging her attack. Mercy swings her blade violently at every possible angle. Stephan weaves around each attack. Well, almost, one attack hits my arm. I yelp in surprise. Stephan gives Mercy a cold stare, and instantly she lights on fire. Mercy screams. Stephan sprints through the forest.

Mercy's scream subsides, and her footsteps start up again. She is gaining fast.

"Why won't she quit?" Stephan remarks. He leaps over a stump, and keeps running. I hear Mercy behind us run into the stump and fall over. No footsteps follow us. Stephan starts to slow down, confident in our lead.

Mercy appears in front of us, blade at the ready. Stephan stops, "Wow, she's stubborn."

"You can't hide from me! I can feel your darkness!"

A dark film radiates from Stephan. I freak unsure what is going on. The darkness falls off Stephan into a puddle on the ground. The puddle moves quickly over the landscape and far away, like a shadow. A flame shoots where the puddle stops. Mercy turns her head toward the flame and runs after it.

"We don't have much time. Hold your breath." Stephan tells me.

"What?"

"Just do it!" I take a breath and hold it in. Suddenly a wind blows hard, blocking out my vision. I feel a strange tug, like gravity. When I can see again we are in front of my house. Did he just teleport?

"What the-?"

"Do you have a key?" Stephan asks like everything is normal.

"Umm, no I don't"

"Ok, open the screen door, and hold on" I do as he asks. Stephan carefully takes his blade from under me and shoots a beam of light at the door. Things just keep getting weirder.

"What did you do?"

"Unlocked the door." He said matter-of-factly

Stephan places the blade under my legs again for me to sit on and I open the door. He walks over to the living room and lets me drop on to the couch. His blade disappears in a dark smoke. Stephan rubs his shoulders, "That took longer than I thought."

"What the hell was that?" I yell at him from the couch.

"Was what?"

"Don't act all oblivious! You lit a girl on fire!"

"She attacked us, and it's not like she died from it."

"The girl was only fourteen years old!"

"Speaking of which, I probably should find her before she goes back to the Guardians."

"Guardians? Who are the Guardians?"

"You ask a lot of questions." He lets out a sigh, "It's the group of people that kidnapped and tortured you. Now if you would excuse me." Stephan whispers a word I don't catch and the green light from before floats around me with the tree leaves, then it disappears as fast as it came. He walks out of the living room. "Stephan!" I run after him, but he vanishes after he goes around a corner. I stand there for a moment, expecting him to appear randomly. He doesn't. I realize I shouldn't be standing cause my knees …don't hurt any more. I check my wrists for rope burn and my broken fingers. Healed and healed. I run to a mirror in my room my black eye is gone, or at least where I thought one was. Everything back to where it was, like it never happened.

I sit on my bed. How long have I been gone? A glint of green catches my eye; I walk over to it (still flabbergasted that my knees don't hurt.). It's the green marble. I look at it closely; there is a little crack inside it. I put the orb up to the window, the inside shimmers. The marble looks like something exploded in the inside. The girl that attacked us, Mercy or whatever her name is, gave me this on the bus. Could it have all been planned? Mercy talking to me on the bus, giving me the marble. Me getting sick. The people kidnapping and torturing me. Stephan saving me. Mercy attacking us. How much influence do these Guardians have? I remember the business card they gave me, and the woman saying, "_That was her_." Were they looking for me? … Christan's voice echoes through my head, were they looking for the light switch or the last piece of the puzzle? What did Stephan say exactly, when he possessed me that night? What is the light switch? There are way to many questions and no facts, or answers.

I feel so in the dark.


	10. Seeking The Red

**Chapter 10**

"_It's too beautiful… Most fairytales are warnings against human pride and cruelty. Purity always has its opposite…If humans had no impurities, they could still never be considered pure."- Dark, D. N. Angel_

I stand at the kitchen sink, stuffing my face with anything I can make in about a minute. Yogurt contains, cracker boxes, and sandwich crumbs are scattered across the counter. I just came back from the grocery store shift today; I was about an hour late because of "traffic" (they would have never believed I was kidnapped). The manger what's-his-name gave me a thorough lecture for that.

I take a bite of an over ripe pear, some of the pear is red making it extra sweet. I wipe some of the crumbs on my sleeves into the sink. I look out the window at my garden. The roses are in full bloom and the hostas leaves are large and green. The dark clouds outside make it impossible to tell what time of day it is without a clock.

A dark shadow moves across the yard. I take a closer look at the yard, waiting for it to come back. It moves again. I see a blur of movement and red. Mercy. I take a big bite of pear, and take out a frying pan. I stomp over to the trashcan, take another bite of pear, and throw away the stem. I march out the back door, frying pan in hand, seeking vengeance.

I sneak around the side of the garage toward my hosta bed. I listen for signs of movement. My eyes have already adjusted to the lack of light. I take slow big steps, like a cat searching for prey. My eyes search the terrain for Mercy, hoping I'll find her before she finds me. I hold the frying pan down to keep it hidden. The air smells of smoke and cut grass. I keep my breathing down. Cars rush by my house. I take in my surroundings, not missing a detail. Crouching into the back yard, I peak around the corner of the garage.

"Hi, Sam. About yesterday…"

Bam! I hit Mercy square in the face with the frying pan. Her eyes roll back as her body collapses on the ground. "Direct hit." I smile at my handy work. I probably gave her brain damage.

Snickering comes from the neighbor's bushes. I snap my head toward the sound and take a step toward it. I look back at Mercy, lying there as if she is asleep. What if it is just a distraction from the Guardians to take Mercy back? I can't take any chances. I ignore the snicker, and focus on Mercy. I grab her wrists and drag her into the house, through the living room and into the basement. Her head only hits one step.

I lay her limp body on a fold up chair. I find some rope in the workshop, and tie up her hands and feet to the chair. I run up stairs to get some necessary "tools". Who knew revenge could be so sweet? I recall torture scenes from cop dramas, and novels, along with my own experience. Let's see torture techniques: blunt, sharp, hot, cold, and loud. Loud seems lame and I don't have anything for hot. I search the kitchen for supplies. I take out a tray of ice cubes, fill a pitcher with water, and take out a butcher knife. I smile at my reflection in the steal; suddenly I get a marvelous idea. I take out a wooden cutting board and a tomato. I chop um the tomatoes and wipe the juice all over the cutting board. I shake away the seeds, eat the tomato, and rinse off the large knife. I look at my masterpiece on the cutting board. Well, it does look quite like blood, I slam the knife into the cutting board, but it should freak her out just fine. The butcher knife sticks straight out of the cutting board like a flower in a pitcher.

I move the supplies to the basement. I sit down on a chair facing Mercy, with all my tools on the floor beside me. All the lights in the basement are off except for the one leading to the stairs, for dramatic effect. I spray the pitcher of water on Mercy's face.

She doesn't move, I must of hit her harder than I thought. I slump down in my chair and squint at the clock behind Mercy, just past six. I sigh, how long is this going to take? After five minutes the ice cubes start to melt. I run them back into the fridge. Before I walk down the steps I pause and take a deep breath. Focus Sam; remember why you are doing this. I slowly walk down the stairs, being as epic as possible. Mercy is still sleeping away. I groan and fall into my chair. This is taking too long. Patience, Sam. I stare at Mercy through the murky darkness waiting for any sign of movement. She starts to shiver. I harden my heart to abolish any signs of empathy. What am I doing? She looks so pathetic sitting, unconscious, in the dark, shivering. I decide to dry her off. I fetch her a towel, dry off her head quickly, and throw it back upstairs.

I sit there for another handful of minutes. Boredom consumes me, so to fight it off I start playing with the butcher knife. I cut a loose string off my t-shirt, and get the knife to reflect the hallway light around the room. For a little while, I shine the light into Mercy's eyes. She doesn't move. After an hour the basement starts to smell like tomatoes. I bring the butcher knife and the cutting board, back up to the kitchen. The knife was fun to have down there, can't say I was ever planning to use it though.

I pause before I start walking down stairs, the sound of a chair sliding and hitting the floor echoes through the basement. Don't tell me she was playing with me the whole time! She probably went through the whole torture scenario in military training or whatever the Guardians do. I am such an idiot. I walk slowly down the stairs, pretending I don't know a thing. On the chair Mercy "sleeps". I sit down on my chair, and scoot it closer to her. I slap her hard on the cheek, "Stop playing games with me!" Mercy groans, pretending she just woke up.

"Start talking. Who are the Guardians?"

"Why do you let a demon control you?"

I slap her again. "I'm asking the questions here!" Mercy smiles a little after I yell at her. She sees me as no threat. Her smug grin pisses me off. I squeeze her cheeks out of the smile, "Don't try my patience."

Mercy takes a deep breath, "The Guardians are a group of people who save the public from phenomena they don't understand."

She sounds like she is reading off a script. "This saving includes torture?" I reply mockingly.

"I told them there was a better way! They didn't believe me!"

This girl is such a tool. I slap her again, "Keep your pity, little brat. What did they expect to accomplish?"

"We were just trying to find an enemy we could not see or hear."

"Stephan," I whisper to myself. I glare at her. "What did this 'Empty One' do that would enable his annihilation?" I quote her.

"He ripped the fabric of reality, letting in the monsters. He is killing off all the civilians, sucking their living hearts out! He has destroyed other worlds, and he is doing the same here!"

Stephan standing over the body and the pool of blood flash through my head. Stephan skillfully slicing up Christan, and ripping open Patty's arm. He lights Mercy on fire with a stare. Stephan lying to me about a family in Djibouti, trying to appear human. I wanted to yell at Mercy, "It's not true! He would never do that!" But all the facts point to one conclusion. I feel a knot twisting up in my stomach. I hear the floors creak upstairs. We sit in silence for a while.

"Do you have any evidence?" I ask her softly. Mercy doesn't reply. Yay, one point for me, I try to smile to myself. The truth still points the other way though. "_A true magician never reveals his secrets_" Stephan's voice rings through my head. What else could he be hiding? I remember Mercy's strange weapon.

"What is the sword you carry?"

"A keyblade. Its power comes from strength of the wielder's heart."

Same weapon as Stephan.

"It chooses the wielder not the other way around" I roll my eyes at her. Now she is just bragging.

"Can I go now?" Mercy pleads. She may have military training, but Mercy is still an ignorant kid, even with the Guardians feeding her info. I have no other questions, no other reasons to keep her here, unless I kill her.

"Yeah." I nod my head. Not ready to bloody my hands yet. I get up and start walking behind her to untie her hands. I should have thought of more questions for her, I kick myself.

Before I even touch her ropes Mercy moves her hands in front of her and starts untying the ropes on her feet. Mental note: tie prisoner's ropes tighter. When did she untie them? When I was upstairs? I stand there like a post as Mercy runs to the door, "You going to show me the way out or not?" I am such an idiot when it comes to being evil.


	11. Breathe in the Dark

**Chapter 11**

"_Those who fear the darkness have never seen what light can do."-Unknown_

My sword glints in the light of the stain glass. It looks so fragile, but can cut easily, without friction. I swing the blade twice in front of me, and twirl it around stabbing through two dark monsters behind me. I keep swinging falling into an order, but the monsters keep coming, their yellow eyes beaming at me. They keep multiplying. I hit down one, and three more show up. One leaps at me from above; I slash it in mid air only to be bombarded with enemies from behind. They crawl up my back, pulling me down. My moves slacken. More creatures grab onto me, dragging me down. Their claws sink into my skin. I still fight, trying to shake off the little demons. My sword misses one and hits the floor. The blade bends and launches itself away from me. I run over to it, I slip within feet of the sword. More creatures dog pile on me.

A dark pit opens under me. I start to freak. I take every ounce of strength I have to swim through the sea of creatures grabbing onto me, and the tug of the black hole. I search for the surface, but keep sinking. The demons' weight cements my ribcage closed; breathing becomes a chore in itself. I can feel my consciousness slipping away, before I disappear I hear Stephan laugh at me.

I leap out of bed, startled. It was just a dream, just a dream. I shiver, and try to shake off the weird feeling the dream gave me, a gritty feeling like swimming through sand. I glance at the clock; it's ten. I sigh, a great way to start a day; a nightmare and a session with my therapist. I'm meeting with Kath at Chipotle like I did last week.

I sigh. I feel like crap today and would rather avoid all contact with other people. Just shut myself in a corner. I walk over to the shower and turn it on. I drag myself back to my room and grab my robe from the closet; my foot makes a hollow thud on the floor. I smile as I remember my uncle's gun hidden under the floorboards. He showed me how to use it when I was 15, while my family was staying at a cabin for a whole summer. We went hunting a couple times. My parents hated the thought of me holding a gun, let alone killing animals; but my uncle and I snuck out and went shooting anyway. I loved the weight of the compact rifle in my hands, gave me a sense of power and maturity. My uncle always said, "Respect that rifle, it's a powerful ally. It can help you protect or destroy, as long as you keep it maintained." I smile at the fond memory, and start getting ready to meet Kath.

I play with my straw, I finished half of my burrito and don't feel like eating it anymore. I cannot taste it anymore. I bite into a chip, clearly bored. Kath is still eating, she has tried to start multiple conversations, each one fell in the dirt and died. She is beginning to run out of ideas.

"You ok? You are so quiet today, Sam."

"Fine, just have a lot on my mind."

"Do tell." Kath smiles, expecting some good gossip.

"Just… keeping up with two jobs can be so difficult." I try not to stumble through my words as I lie.

"How so?" Great, she went psychologist on me. Well, lying got me this far might as well finish what I started.

"I was almost fired from the grocery store yesterday. I slept in too late and came to work an hour late. If Paul hadn't covered for me… why are you looking at me like that?" Her eyes are glazed over in a perky smile.

"Who is Paul?" She emphases the name.

I groan, "Just someone I work with, got it?"

"Are you sure he sees it that way?" Oh, gawd, love is the last thing I need to worry about right now.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now lay off!"

"Speaking of romance," Kath's smile widens, "How's your romantic book-attacking stalker? I was hoping you would of called me! I want to know every detail." Kath lays her head on her hands, expecting a long story.

Darn it. I forgot I told her about that. "He turned out to be a creep so I stabbed him with my pocketknife and he never bothered me again." Well, it's part true.

"What did he do!"

"Tried to follow me home one day."

"That creep! I hope he learned a lesson from that." She does an impression of me stabbing him. I smile.

"There's that smile!" Kath tells me. Her comment makes me feel like such a kid, like I need to be watched and told what to do. I check my watch. Shoot! "I got to go! Talk to you later." I jump off the stool and race for the door, leaving my food for Kath to take care of.

"Where are you going?" She yells after me.

"Work!"

I open the door to the library out of breath. I hold my breath a second to keep myself from making a scene. I walk over to the help desk. "Lola?" She's nowhere to be found. I peek behind some of the bookcases. Maybe she is in the back room moving books. I sit down at the abandoned health desk, barely made it on time. My leg brushes against something hairy. "What the!" A bunch of people stare at me, I apologize for the noise and check what is or was under my desk. "Lola? What you doing down there?" She is shaking, and cuddled up like a small child. "He's coming, he'll find me if I let my guard down. Stay awake. He's coming, I know he is." She mumbles.

"What…who is?"

Lola turns around eyes wide. Her hair is fluffed up, and dark circles line her eyes. She didn't put on any make-up. I have never seen her without some kind of blush or mascara on her face. She looks completely insane.

"D-d-demon, he is darkness. Sam… don't believe him, don't go close. HE'LL KILL YOU!" She reaches out to me, hands and arms shaking horribly. I would never have guess she was the same Lola that was so preppy that I found her annoying.

"Lola what happened?" She looks past me, silent. I sit in the chair waiting for her to tell me something, but she never answers. I turn my chair around getting back to manning the desk.

"Don't trust…I want to forget…please forget." Lola's lips barely shape the words.

I set the Chinese take-out on my kitchen table along with my book bag. The familiar routine comforts me, makes me feel like nothing has happened. Stephan doesn't exist, the death count at Shadow ridge hasn't gone up, and Lola has another crush. I open the box of noodles and take out chopsticks. I start scooping noodles into my mouth. Chinese always tastes better on a bad day. I shove a cream cheese puff in my mouth whole, letting the filling squeeze out as I crush it. I take a sip of milk and slurp of more noodles. I let myself get lost in my supper. I close my eyes, focusing on the taste of everything.

Thud! Something slams into my kitchen window. I open my eyes startled, isn't it a little late for birds. I don't think to hard about it and gobble down another cream cheese puff. Thud! There it goes again, I ignore it. Whatever it is, is messing with a strong window.

Thud! I finish off my noodles. Grr, this is getting annoying. I walk over to the sink and look out the window. Two yellow eyes stare at me, I stare back mystified. The dark creature whams it's head into the window, it breaks through. The tiny monster leaps at me, I duck, and it sails into my cupboards. I grab a big knife from the counter with jagged edges on it. I spin it around and drive it into the demon's head. I stab it three times before it disintegrates. As it disappears a pink heart floats out of it and disappears.

I'm so sick of all this weird stuff happening! I put the knife on the counter. I throw away the box that held the cream puffs, and take a swig of milk. I sigh and wash out the glass, putting it into the dishwasher. Seeing that the dishwasher is full, I turn it on. Thud! Leave me alone! I turn my head a demon launches at my face through the whole in the window. It starts ripping at my cheeks and sleeves. I pry it off me with much effort, and run for the knife. The monster leaps onto the knife. It's claws reach out to me, threateningly. I grab the handle of the knife, and slash it up ward. The knife gashes through the creature's foot, torso, head, and some of its antenna. The pink heart disappears. I breathe heavily, and turn around. Three more monsters crawl across the floor at me I slash like a samurai, and after a couple slices, annihilate them all. I glance out the window countless yellow eyes glare at me in the back yard. I freeze like a deer caught in the headlights. Ten shadow creatures leap at the window at once; they all get caught in each other. I run for my bedroom with an idea in mind. Once I reach the door, I hear glass hit the floor. They got through the window. I slam my door shut and drop to my knees feeling the floor of my closet. Where is that loose panel? Found it! BAM! BAM! The demons got to my door. I fumble with the panel. The hinges start to break from the doorframe. I take the rifle out of the floor, and shove a couple rounds into the gun and a couple extras in my pocket. BAM! The door leans crooked on its frame.

I leap onto my bed hoping the higher ground will give me an advantage. I aim the rifle at the door waiting for them to bulge out. There is a moment of silence. I take a deep breath. For a second I wonder, "Are they gone?"

The door bursts open, monsters fall into my room like water. I open fire on them getting rid of three of the dark creatures with each bullet. Yellow eyes appear at my bedroom window. "Leave me alone!" I finish off the ones in the hall. THUD! My bedroom window cracks. I run to the hole where my rifle was and take more ammo. I reload the rifle quickly and run into the hall. A monster runs down the hallway, I pump the gun and shot it square in the face. The creatures fill up most of my kitchen. I shoot a bunch of them off my bag and snag my pocketknife. I run out of the mob of darkness. My house has become a war zone, if I wait long enough the whole house will be stuffed with these beasts. I would have nowhere to run. I shoot to more as I run out of the house. I run through the neighborhood toward the library. I look over my shoulder a group of them is catching up. I shoot a couple shots behind me. I run into the field by the hill, I face the beasts. I pump the gun. This is it; at least it's better than dieing on a hospital bed after years of pills. Well, maybe better isn't the right word.

I open fire on the darkness for each one that gets knocked down ten of them catch up to the group. I reload my gun while the monsters are fairly far away. The meadow becomes painted in black. I shoot off again, pump, and again. My head tells me to give up, but I don't listen. The creatures are within twenty feet of me. My gun runs out of ammo. I fumble with it as I reload. The monsters leap at me I put up my gun to keep them from ripping me apart. A light radiates from my rifle, sending all the creatures back to the fence. I look down at my hands, in them was a sword. Teeth extended from the hilt, and darkness crawled up the blade to a small star at the top. The weird sword looked a lot like Stephan's and a little like Mercy's. I smile at my newfound keyblade, and newfound courage.

"YOU WANT SOME SAM? COME AND GET ME!" The beasts charge at me I wait for them in a battle stance. As they come I swing the key in wide motions ripping it into multiple creatures at once. In no time I cut their numbers in half. I follow my instincts and leap into the air. I throw the key into the ground, it sinks in deep. Light shines from the key and the ground, obliterating the remaining monsters. I see a couple shadows moving in the distance, one has yellow eyes. I yank my blade out of the ground. The black creature runs toward me, but before I can swing my sword another monster pumbles it. "You're a little late." I tell the blues beast that finished off the last dark creature. My rifle replaces my keyblade. The blue beast hisses at me, as it scrapes its sharp arms at me threateningly. It leaps at me. Surprised, I can only throw up my block and shut my eyes. The monster never reaches me.

Another blue creature intercepts it before it reaches me. They fight on the ground. The one with the bad attitude keeps hissing and trying to attack me. The other one easy turns it around. Eventually the monster that saves me punches the pissy one in the face. The hurt demon staggers back and runs to the fence, the other one stands for a second. It turns its head toward me, looking at me with sad red eyes. Then it skimpers off after the other monster. I run after the two of them. I lose sight of them with in the shadows.


	12. To Gather Hearts

**Chapter 12**

"_I wasn't strong. I wasn't trying to be heroic or prove that I was brave, but her voice was arrogant and empty and it didn't scare me." –The Replacement, Brenna Yovanoff_

"_Don't scream my name when they rip your heart out!"_ I wake up startled. A crash of thunder echoes throughout the library. I moved some of the stuff from my house here, to stay away from the broken glass, and the possibility of monsters jumping into my bed all night. Let alone robbers. I sit up on the couch in the Teen section. I massage my temples. _"Don't scream my name when they rip your heart out!"_ Stephan's voice rings through my head again. Why did he have to say that? At least his words didn't seal my fate, not yet anyway.

Does he control those black monsters? Mercy implied that he did; but why would he save me one day and send monsters to finish me off the next? Figuring out Stephan is close to impossible, one moment he is happy go lucky and the next he has steam shooting out of his ears. His mood swings are so obnoxious.

Half of the library lights up from the lightening. A shadow moves in the opposite direction of the rest. I pick up my rifle and creep towards it. I am only a couple feet away; I cock the rifle, aiming it at the middle of the silhouette. The silhouette separates and disappears into the darkness on the library walls. I lower the rifle, both disappointed and relieved. I look up at the clock I can barely read it, 6:10 AM. I have about twenty minutes before Frank's shift starts.

Bang, thunder strikes. I jump and turn to the big windows on the side of the library. I stare out them, watching the heavy rainfall. My house is going to be so soaked, since the windows are gone. I groan, heave the rifle over my shoulder, and start walking back to the couch with my stuff. I hear scratching on the door. I leap toward it gun at the ready. I slink over to it. Creak, the door starts to open. I have my trigger finger ready to blow the monster's head off. Lightening shoots across the sky lighting up the figure.

"Frank?" I whisper to myself. He takes a step forward and sees me.

"Sam, What are you doing here!" Frank lifts his hands above his head when he sees the gun.

"I, umm." I put the gun down, and try to hide it.

"What the hell! Why aren't you at home?"

"Well, I, uh." I have no idea what to tell him. Should I tell him the truth? Would he believe me?

"You look worse than Lola." He changes the subject slightly. I hear a moan from under my desk. Frank walks over to it, and takes out a brown bag from under his raincoat. He unwraps the bag and gives Lola the bagel that was inside. "From the top. Why are you here?" Frank emphasizes each word in the question.

"Well, what umm happened was uhh." Frank waits for me to finish. "Monsters attacked my house and broke all my windows." I give a sheepish smile. Frank gives me an evil stare seeing only a lie, but doesn't ask anymore about it. He walks around the help desk, taking out a cup of coffee and throwing away the paper bag. I stand there, unsure what to do.

"Don't you have stuff to put away?"

"Yes, sir!" I answer too quickly. Damit. Why did I add the sir? I briskly walk over to the Teen section. I throw all my stuff into a pile. I pick them up and carefully situate them in my arms. Picking up the gun last. I run the stuff over to the back room and drop my stuff under a desk no one uses anymore. I breathe a sigh of relief. At least I don't have to sneak out, pretending I didn't sleep here. I should have figured Frank was coming soon, I face palm. That was an awkward situation. I need to repair my windows fast; there is no way I'm sleeping here again.

* * *

><p>"You sure you two can take over?" Frank asks, looking down at Lola.<p>

"Positive." I smile, and take a bite of sandwich. Lola doesn't say a word.

"I'll check up on you in a couple hours go it?"

"Yep, so are you leaving or not?" Frank rolls his eyes. I wave at him as he opens the door. I munch happily on my sandwich. Lola stares at hers, mesmerized by the lettuce. Does she think something is going to jump out of it or something?

A young boy walks up to the desk, "Do you have any books on space?"

"Yes we do, right by the kids section. First row on your right." I smile at him. He must be 7. I get a sinking feeling as I realize how much he looks like my younger brother.

"Could you show me?" He looks so nervous.

"Sure." I smile as I walk him over to the Juvenile young fiction, and point out the space books. He thanks me and starts going through them. I let my feet drag as I walk back to the help desk. My brother would have been 14 this year. I reach for my sandwich, "Where did my sandwich go?" I look down at Lola crumbs are all over her face and her sandwich is gone as well. I glare at her; she shrinks into a corner of my desk. I sigh and start checking inventory on the computer.

"H-h-he's….." Lola shivers, shaking the whole desk.

"Who are you talking about?"

"…Come for me." Lola replies deadpan.

"Lola, who is here? Answer me!" I go down to her level and shake her gently. Lola shoves my arms away.

"You told me, to get him away! I don't need anyone, you said. But but, he doesn't think that wayyyy. Won't let me go. Wants something of mine. Something."

"Who!"  
>"Josh. No, no, not Josh."<p>

What? Her old boyfriend? What did he do?

"Come out and play!" A screechy voice shouts from outside the library. I freeze.

"I'm waitttting." He says melodically. Oh God. I stand up, shivering. Breathe, Sam. I take a deep breath. You attacked millions of monsters, this is only one person. What am I talking about! This is a person, totally different category.

"Don't make me come in there." I can here the smile in his voice.

"If I should die before I wake, I pray to God my soul to take." I mumble to myself. Sam, you have such a death wish! I walk over to the doors and push them open.

"What do you want, Josh?" I ask him sternly, my voice slightly cracks on want.

"Can't I talk to my girlfriend?" Josh walks toward me, smiling like a Cheshire cat. A black film covers him, and his shadow is nowhere to be found. It looks like he is wearing his shadow like a robe. His vibrant yellow eyes smile at me. I shiver.

"Are you afraid?" He takes a step closer and lightly strokes my neck. I glare at him. In my hand I can feel energy swirling. His face inches closer to mine.

"You are beautiful." He twists his hands around my long hair. I feel a solid hilt in my hand. Josh bends his head down to my ear, "Take me to Lola."

I let out a battle cry and swing my keyblade up into his face. The hilt hits him in the jaw. He backs away in pain. "You are going to pay for that," he growls at me. He leaps at me, his hands become claws. I duck as he jumps over me, and twist my key around sticking the blade into his gut. He falls over, the keyblade is still sticking out of him. I get up and walk over to him. I stand over his barely conscious body and twist the key. Josh squirms like a worm. I rip the key from his body, blood squirts like a fountain. The blood leaves drips all over the patio. "That was for Lola." I turn around, and walk toward the door.

Josh latches onto my foot and bites into my calf muscle. I wince in pain, but quickly regain my focus. I lift up my keyblade. I thrust it downward, like a machine, through Josh's skull. It lets out a disturbing crack. Josh lays limp at my feet, a pool of blood forms around him. I stare emotionless at the body. The blood starts seeping into my shoes; I kick the body rolling it over away from my feet and realeasing the sword's hold on the skull. I pick up my foot and hit it into Josh's shoulder, sending him tumbling down the stairs. Half way down, his body dissolves, and a pink heart floats into the air. I brush the blood off my feet before returning to the library for supplies to clean up this mess.

I walk into the back room, hoping the blood on my shoes doesn't dry before I get to them. I take out a roll of paper towels from the bathroom. I wet the tower and start working on my shoes. Most of the blood sticks to the paper towel, but some of it just smears. After I give up taking the rest of the blood off the tennis shoe, it looks like I walked through a wet baseball field and mud. I pick up the roll of paper towels and bring it outside to clean up everything else. Mercy sees me walking.

"I heard you got a keyblade too." I ignore her, and continue walking outside. She follows me. Mercy freezes in the doorway when she sees the blood on the patio. Her eyes bulged out "W-what happened?"

"Some idiot bled all over the sidewalk." I put a towel down on the sidewalk, letting it absorb some of the fluid. Mercy glances at my shoes, "Y-you did this!"

"Shhh, you are causing a scene."

"Why shouldn't I!" I cup my hand over her mouth, "Want to be the next stain?" Mercy gulps, as she stares at the towel turning red. She must be horrified; I can't say that I am completely fine with this either.

"You killed. But they were human…"

"No they weren't." I remember him touching my face and combing his fingers through my hair, I shiver. Lola needed him gone.

"A heartless would never leave this much blood!"

"Shhh! Geez, if it was human wouldn't there be a body?"

"…you chopped it up and got rid of it."

"Eewww! Who do you think I am! I'm not some sicko. Do you really think this is what I do in my free time in public?" I lay down more paper towel, swirling them in the liquid. I pretend it's koolaid, the smell doesn't help the illusion though.

"What am I suppose to think? You are friends with a monster that does this all the time."

A silence falls for a second. "Friend is too strong of a word." I reply.

"You can't use a keyblade to hurt people."

"I didn't, Mercy. I told you this already." I drop the used paper towels into the trashcan by the door, and lay out more on the ground.

"But!" She stares at her shoes.

"You attacked Stephan, same thing."  
>"The empty one is pure darkness though! He is giant, and has very sharp teeth!"<p>

I laugh at her. I forgot she never saw what Stephan really looks like. "Pointy teeth for a rabbit."

Mercy glares at me, "Anyway you need a master. Someone to teach you how to use the key."

"I can handle myself just fine, thank you." I drop more towels in the garbage. I move closer to the steps for cleaning.

"No you can't! You don't know anything about the key! To you it is only some sword to fight with!"

"I know enough."

"Just listen me!"

"Why? So that I can join your club of merry men? I would rather not. And I don't need a child as a teacher." Mercy tightens her fists and her face goes red.

"I'm not some stupid child! I could beat you in a match any day of the week!"

"I though you said not to treat the key like a sword."

"Grrrr! You understand nothing! You ignorant fool! Can't you just take help when it is given to you?" Mercy yells at me.

"I'm not joining your freakin' organization!" I move down the steps, cleaning a piece of each one.

"We are saving the world! We need you."

"What have you done to save the world, hmm? Defeat Stephan? Repair the rip in reality? Or did you solve the monster crisis."

"They are called heartless! And in fact I did defeat Stephan."

What? Seriously? This kid was thrown aside easily, and Stephan didn't even use his keyblade!

"You positive?" I smile. "Did you see the body?"

"Shut up." My smile grows and I finish cleaning up the steps. I walk over to the trashcan.

"Please, Sam! You can see things we can't. You can help us make sure Stephan is dead. The Guardians don't want a lifetime membership; they just need some help. The world is at stake here!" I pick up the trash bag and start walking it over to the dumpster.

"Sam, answer me. I could teach you how to use magic, and different battle stances! I can even teacher you some of my other training! Picking locks and such. Please!"

I drop the bag into the dumpster, "Beg all you want, but I'm still not joining, or becoming some apprentice." Mercy sighs, and follows me into the library. Lola peeks up from behind my desk, it looks like she was abandoned in an alley.

"Is he gone?" Lola whimpers.

"Yep, gone for good." Lola runs to me and gives me a bear hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She whispers. A smile appears on her face.

"Ok, ok, I get it." I smile. Mercy glares at us from a corner. "Lola, I have a brush in the back room, if you wan to use it."

"OMG! My hair must be such a mess! You are a lifesaver, Sam!" Mercy sadly looks up at me. She admits defeat and walks out of the library. I wonder if she was ever thanked for anything she did.

Frank opens the door and walks over to me, "How's everything going?"

Before I can answer Lola leaps at him. She throws a bunch of thank yous at him. He stands their stunned.

"what did you do, Sam?" he asks.

"Nothing." I reply with a cheesy grin. He gives me a suspicious look but doesn't ask.

Frank never notices the small traces of blood on the patio

* * *

><p>"Thanks Mrs. Travensen, dinner was great. Don't worry I'm only going to be here a couple days, until they repair my windows." I tell Patty's mom.<p>

"Don't worry, we are happy with you staying here. That house must get so lonesome."  
>"Not really, I got my books." I smile at her, she gives me a worried look. Mrs. Travensen sighs and finishes putting away the dishes.<p>

"Come on let's play baseball!" Ryan yells at us and drags Patty and me toward the front door. Patty stands her ground, "You know the rules, Ryan. No going outside when the sun starts to set.

"But Patty! I want to show Sam my swing!" Ryan pretends to swing a bat, and watch the ball go flying past the out field.

"Some other time." I tell him. Patty's brother is so adorable. Ryan jumps onto my back, I almost fall over. "Come on Sam! Let's go!" He points to the door.

"I got a better idea." I run around the house toward the basement. Ryan laughs the whole way. I can picture Patty face palming and rolling her eyes.

After I get down the stairs, I sit down on the hard floor. "Last stop." Ryan giggles and gets off my back. He runs over to the ping-pong table and picks up a paddle. I sigh and walk over to him. I haven't caught my breath yet from the last game.

"Ok I'll play."

We play a weird version of ping-pong. We barely bounce the ball off the table, it is more like baseball over a table. Hit, catch, hit, catch, hit…face. I never thought Ryan could hit so hard for a 7 year old. He gives me a bruise on my forehead.

"Are you ok, Sam?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I hold my head, "Let's go watch a movie upstairs." Ryan grins and runs up the stairs, "I'll pick!" He yells before he opens the door on the way out. I groan, I can see why Patty gets annoyed; this kid has more energy than the sun. I drop my paddle on the table and walk up the stairs, flicking off the lights as I pass them.

Patty greets me as I get up the stairs. "You survived my brother's wrath." She laughs as she sees the red bump on my head. "If he broke another ping-pong ball, he is sooo going to start paying for those." She laughs at my face. I must look tired.

"Do you have anything to drink?" I ask.

"Koolaid."

"What kind?"

"Black cherry."

"I'll just have water." I don't think I'll be drinking any red liquids for a while.

"Sam get over here it's starting! Patty!"

"We better not be watching star wars again." Patty moans.

"But it's A New Hope, Patty!" Ryan yells from the other room.

"Ok, ok. I'm coming." Patty has always had a weak spot for Darth Vader. Maybe it's the booming voice. I never understood why. His breathing gets annoying, and his burnt up face freaks me out. I guess I have always been into men that were actually alive. Vader is basically half dead, if not more.

I fill up a glass of water and walk over to the couch with Patty. Ryan is sitting there bouncing up and down in anticipation. Patty and I sit on both sides of him.

Ryan tells us all about Princess Leia and Luke, along with his favorite character Obi-Wan Kenobi. He tells us about the evil death star and Darth Vader's evil plans. We can barely hear the movie.

I see a shadow move from outside the house. My adrenaline starts pumping through my veins. The movie is about halfway through. I turn my head to the right, looking out a window the shadow might have moved towards. Yellow eyes look into the room. It sees me staring and ducks. I shoot my head forward. I search my head for excuses to go outside.

"What were you looking at?" Ryan asks me.

"Nothing, I forgot something at my house I will be back in a little bit." I run for the door.

"No, you can't it's dangerous!" She calls to me. I ignore her and close the door on my way out.

* * *

><p>The heartless attacks me as I step outside the door. The little monster latches onto my face. I rip it off with one hand and call my key with the other. I hold the heartless by its antenna and shoot it with a beam of light. The thing dissolves on contact. I make my keyblade disappear and open the screen door to the house.<p>

"AHHHHHHH!" I hear a death cry echo through the streets. I run towards it, unsure what I can do about it. The screen door slams behind me. A group of heartless huddles on a street corner by a gift shop. I slash at them and easily demolish the lot, but I was too late. A woman's body lies in the street. Her face twisted in pain and her whole chest is ripped out. A tear runs down my face. I turn away from the disgusting smell the body gives off. My eyes burn with the image of her face. No one's face should be able to make that kind of shape.

"How's playing hero?"

"Well, I'm doing better than you." I reply sarcastically. I turn my head toward the boy's voice. He sits on top of the gift shop.

"Touché" Stephan jumps down from the building. "Was your keyblade a gift from Mercy? Did she give it to you out of pity?"

"Don't believe it chose me? You are not very good at judging character."

"I'm better at pissing people off." He grins and calls his keyblade. He lifts it above his head and points it at me.

"Bring it on. I could defeat you easily!"

"Not in that stance." He disappears into the night. I twitch my head back and forth looking for any sign of his movements. He appears in front of me. He swings the key down on my shoulder. I dodge it, but my shirt snags on the tip of his key and rips.

"You are going to pay for that!" I scream at him.

"Really?" He throws the key over my head I duck. I swing my key at his chest, he blocks it. We stand there blades stuck together each applying equal pressure. Stephan flicks his wrist hitting the end of my key and flinging it to the side. He leaps at me I take a couple steps back. He sends more strokes my way pushing me closer to the curb on the other side of the street. He swings his blade by my chin I duck and take a step back. I trip over my own feet, falling on to the curb. Pain shoots up through my back as it hits the concrete. Luckily, my head doesn't hit. I move to get up. Stephan thrust his key into the ground. It straps my hair deep into the cement with the rest of his key. He stands to the side with his hands off the hilt. I am stuck.

"What did Mercy tell you?"

I put my hands around Stephan's blade and start yanking at it. I try to pull it out of the concrete, but to no avail. "I know…all your plans." I take a deep breath and put all my strength into my arms.

"Enlighten me." He smiles at my weak effort of escaping.

"You ripped through the fabric of reality, and are going to destroy the world with your heartless fleet."

He snickers, "Mercy gives me way to much credit."

I take a deep breath, "Laugh at Mercy all you want, but she still defeated you." I tug at the sword again.

"You got to be kidding. Mercy? She defeated a tree. That little girl couldn't even find me."

"Why do you keep, killing Stephan?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Shut up."

"You are just like me. Don't deny it."

"Shut up!"

"You always keep people at a distance. Always analyzing and never actually being present."

The truth hit me hard. "I said shut up!" I scream at him. I rip the key out of the ground, and pick up my own. I swing them both madly at him.

"That all you got!" He yells back at me as he swerves around every move i make.

I growl at him. I drop my key down on him. Stephan easily dodges it, but he doesn't know what he really asked for. I throw his key at him as he dodges. I figured out the way he would dodge and sent the key that way. It slices through his side on its way back to me and gets stuck in a lung. He falls to the ground, "Good hit" he mumbles. I walk toward him. I put my hand on the hilt of his key. He gives me a fake smile, "What are you waiting for? Vanquish the evil." My hands shake. I flinch for a second. I wonder why he saved me. But my heart hardens again as I see the body behind him, "And you didn't believe I could defeat you." I tighten my grasp on the key. I twist it hard like I'm opening a door. Stephan yelps. I yank the keyblade out of him, showering blood all over me. He coughs up blood, "So this is hell." His eyes shut and his body goes limp.

I stare at his mangled corpse. I drop his keyblade beside him. As it hits the ground the key disappears in a veil of black. I hope the body does the same, but it stays, painting the roadside in a sticky crimson. A tear falls down my cheek; maybe I'm the one that is a monster. I wipe my cheek with my torn sleeve and start walking back to Patty's. I told them I had to get something from my house. I need to keep my alibi, like a filthy murderer.

I slam the door against a wall as I enter my house. New record, Sam, two bodies in one day! Let's break that record tomorrow. I laugh at my filthy sarcasm. I open a drawer and shove a bunch of clothes into a backpack. He killed more people than you did. There is no need to feel sorry for him.

But weren't we…friends? What am I talking about? I never really knew him. All he ever told me was lies. But why do I feel so hurt, like I betrayed someone. Doesn't that mean I cared? I don't know anymore. I don't think I ever will. I throw the backpack onto my shoulders as I leave my house. Don't think about it, Sam. You shouldn't be crying when you are a guest. I take a deep breath before I open the door to Patty's house. I shut the door quickly and slip off my shoes. I am half way to the bathroom before Patty finds me. She gasps as she sees my blood splattered shirt and torn sleeve.

"What happened!"

"Ran into some trouble, I'm fine though."

"Is that your blood?" She looks at me from head to toe. I don't answer her.

"O my God that must have been horrifying! You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." She tries to talk quietly to not draw any attention to us. She would never believe I would ever hurt someone intentionally, she just believes I saw someone get hurt. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yep, I found it." I give her a fake smile. I wasn't exactly looking for it, but I sure as hell found it.


	13. Trust

**Chapter 13**

"_No, be as brutal as you want. Etch the pain into me. It is proof I had a life worth living." –Ceil, Black Butler_

I wake up the next morning in Patty's guest room facing the windows. I have this odd feeling that I am being watched. Heartless? Stephan beyond the grave? I turn my head around cautiously. Someone in a black shirt is sitting in a chair facing my bed. I look closer. It's just Patty, fast asleep in her Vader pj pants and a black t-shirt that reads "98% innocent". "What are you doing here?" I ask her as I sit up in bed.

Patty slowly opens her eyes, "huh?" she snorts. I repeat myself.

"You were screaming in the middle of the night, Sam." Patty yawns, "I woke you up, you asked me to stay in your room, and here I am."

"I don't remember any of that."

"Good, because your screams were horrifying. I wonder if that Stephan guy has anything to do with it."

"He's gone." I reply quickly. I pick up my pillow and hug it in my arms.

"You sure? Wait, gone as in left or gone gone?"

"Gone gone." I stare at my pillow. Trying not to remember anything.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry." I grin, "You are sorry." I throw my pillow on the bed "Sorry for what Patty? Stephan was only a monster. He scratched up Christan and cut open your arm! There is nothing to be sorry about. The world is better off with him gone."

"But, I thought…you two were close."

"It doesn't matter what you thought. Please leave, so I can change out of my pajamas." Patty steps out the door as I shut it. I break open my back pack; pulling out black capris and a royal blue tank top. I drop my house key in my pocket. I slip on some tennis shoes and socks, and open the door. Patty is waiting for me.

"Don't be mad at me. I had no idea your relationship..."

"There was no relationship, and I am not mad at you."

"You sound mad at something."

"I'm pissed off at myself, ok." I start walking to the front door, out of the house and the conversation.

"Why?"

"Just because! I don't want to talk about it."

"But you need to talk about it, Sam. Why do you always leave me in the dark."

I reach the front door. "I got to go, the window repair guys are going to be here soon."

"Sam- " I shut the door cutting off her words.

I walk down the street, wishing that I would disappear. Fade into the trees and the pavement. Sam, stop being so angry with yourself, you did the right thing. "_What are you waiting for? Vanquish the evil_." The scene replayed in my head. I try to shut it out. Doesn't work. I take a deep breath and count my steps…1…2…3…4. I hear a rustle in the bushes. I jump at the noise and look at where it came from. I take a step closer; a bunny leaps out of the bushes and runs into the street. A truck speeds through the road. The big tires pat the bunny's fur, smothering it into the street.

I look away, and shiver at the crunch. Vomit rolls up my throat; I swallow it. I finally reach my house. I stare sadly at the shattered windows. I only have a couple hours until the contractors come by. I take the house key out of my pocket, and open the door. I wonder if anything happened in my house while I was gone. I start checking stuff someone might have taken. CD player, still here. Maybe some more heartless crept into my house. The tension tightens in the air. I check my computer, still here. I wonder if the Guardians ever came by, since I am a "key" player. I smile at my pun. I look at my DVDs and the TV, and assorted other appliances. Check, check and check. Everything is here.

I take out a jar of peanut butter, and honey. I rip out a butter knife from a drawer and start throwing peanut butter on my sandwich. I drizzle honey on the sandwich as well. It looks like a mess. I squeeze the other piece of bread on the sandwich causing honey and peanut butter to ooze onto my hands. I break a piece of it with my teeth and chew viciously. I walk over to the window leaving a trail of crumbs. I don't remember my roses being that dark colored, and there is no shadow there.

I walk out the back door barefoot. I don't notice when I step on a set of clippers. I walk straight to the rose bed. The roses have black centers. I run over to them. What! Fricken bugs have been eating them! I put three layers of pesticide on my roses at the beginning of summer. This can't be happening. I touch a rose, it disintegrates in my hand. A tear falls down my cheek, I drop to the ground. My knees get caked with mud. I let what's left of my sandwich fall out of my hands. I sob horribly. All of reality crashes down on me all at once. "_You always keep people at a distance. Always analyzing and never actually being present_." Shut up Stephan! Snot runs down my face. "You want to know why Stephan?" I whisper to myself, "Cause everyone dies, you can't trust anyone. Right when you need them the most, they won't be there." I wail, thinking of my little brother.

_When the ambulance was by our house that day I knew something was wrong. I ran into the house and dropped my backpack on the ground, I was 10 years old at the time, "Where is Issac?" "In his room." Mom answered. He wasn't there. I yelled his name, no answer. I checked all over the house and the woods in back; everywhere, but the street where the ambulance was. My family grew worried and filed a missing person's report. Eventually we found out where Issac was. It took a long time because the body was hard to identify from all the blood and gashes_.

_Mom and Dad should have watched him! They knew my brother liked to run off. "Always with his head in the clouds," they said. His head was in the clouds that day, too. Snuck out of the house, and stared up at the blue sky. He never saw the truck swerve into him. They said he never noticed the pain, "Dead on impact." The doctors said. My parents let my brother die while they were "too busy" working at home. I can't say I ever trusted my parents again._

I wipe my eyes and look up at the sky. Why? Why can't everything just be better? The tears start to fall again. I quickly wipe them away. I have a feeling I'm being watched. I turn around. When the monster's red eyes see mine it looks away. It shuffles back and forth like it's nervous, or on the verge of tears, like I am. The demon rubs its little blue arms together, staring down at them. I feel bad for the little guy. I reach my hand out to the little creature, not caring if it bites my fingers off. "It's ok, come over here." The monster flinches at my words, and then runs around the house. I run after it, hoping not to scare it too much. When I reach the front of my house the demon is gone; I was too slow.

-I find stuff to do as the contractors work on my windows. I switch between reading, watching comedies, and solitaire. The work doesn't take as long as I thought it would. The four men finish in about 5 hours. Every window shines as the sunsets. I give them a check of $2000 dollars for their hard work. I get dinner going. Spaghetti tonight. Silence sets into the house. It's so quiet with out the contractors pounding windows in and walking around. I slurp up the noodles quickly, so that I can get back my stuff from Patty's house before it gets too dark. I start putting my dishes away.

Ding-dong. I wonder who that is. I put my glass away and walk toward the door. I see Patty looking nervously through the window. I open the door, "What's wro-"

"Ryan ran off! I can't find him. It's getting dark; he shouldn't be out. He wanted to look for a ball he lost. I told him no, but he ran off anyway. I lost track off him, now he's gone." Patty tells me in about a second.

"Breathe, Patty. Let's go find him." I slip on my tennis shoes, and lock the door. We check by Patty's house first then run by the baseball fields.

"Ryan! Ryan, where are you?" We listen for a response, no one answers. Patty starts shaking. "We will find him, Patty." I reassure her. We decided to check the places where the ball might be first, the baseball fields, and the woods behind them. I find a baseball.

"Is this it, Patty?" I ask her as I look at the ball. I turn toward her. She's disappeared.

"Patty?" I hear a scream; I race toward it. Patty is on the ground, and five heartless are sinking their claws into her skin. I take out my keyblade and defeat all of them in one swoop. Patty gets up. She doesn't have too much damage done to her, a black eye and some bad scratches on her arms. It could have been way worse.

"What happened?"

"Heartless attacked you, I got rid of them. Let's go find Ryan."

Patty slowly starts walking again. "Ryan!" In an hour the sun will be down.

"Maybe, Ryan got scared. Is there somewhere that makes him feel safe besides home?" Patty thinks for a moment.

"The playground!" She replies, and starts stumbling toward the library. Patty slips on a rock. I pull her up before she hits the ground. We run hand in hand over to the playground by the library.

The lamps glow in the twilight when we arrive at the gate. We take a second to catch our breath. Patty looks up, "Ryan!" She starts running toward the playground. I run after her. On the swings are two figures, one looks like Ryan and the other one has their hood up.

Patty hugs Ryan, "Don't ever do that again! I told you it's not safe out here after dark. We are going home."

"You found my baseball!" Ryan takes the baseball from my hand. I stare at the figure in the hoodie, he looks familiar.

"Can I have a piggy back ride, Patty?"

"No, you had me running all over the place for you. I'm tired."

"Please!"

"Ok, ok. Only if you tell me why you were at the playground." Ryan struggles as he attempts to get on Patty's back.

The figure turns his head to me, just enough so that I can hear him, "Aren't you going to protect your friends?"

I've officially lost it. Why is Stephan here! He is dead! Before he turns his head forward a glint of red from a nearby streetlight falls over his golden eyes. I remember the dream I had a week ago. Was Stephan the one sitting on the hill? I open my mouth to ask him about how he is alive, why he was with Ryan, or just plain yell at him.

"Sam! You coming?" Ryan yells. I flinch and walk away from the hooded figure, unsure of what I wanted to ask him.

"Ryan, why did you go to the playground, I thought you went looking for your ball?" Patty asks.

"I was, but then he told me it was not safe."

"Who told you?" I ask quickly. Patty gives me a weird look, one that says, "What are you keeping from me".

"My angel did." Ryan says matter-of-factly.

"What does he look like?"

"You can't see angels, Patty! They are invisible. Remember? You told me that."

"Did you talk to him before?"

"Yeah, at home once. He wanted to know more about the rebel alliance, and how to do a good Vader impersonation." Ryan shows off his epic Darth Vader breathing. Stephan did that exact same thing at the library that one day! But how can Ryan hear Stephan?

We walk the rest of the way in silence, listening for any heartless or crazy people. We get to Patty's house. Ryan dashes inside. Patty stares at the door, "Was Stephan there?" She sounded so uptight.

"No, I told you he is gone." I lie to her. Well, half lie.

Patty lets out a deep breath, "Good. All I have to worry about then is a wild imagination." We both laugh stiffly.

"Could I have my stuff back?"

"Sure." Patty races into the house to the guest room. I step inside, and look around, remembering the time we kept the demon out of her house with the help of Christan. Ryan said he talked to Stephan before. Was Stephan the 'ghost' that use to haunt their house?

Patty comes back with my backpack and pillow.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you, and I'm sorry I yelled at you this morning."

"Don't worry about it. Just don't let it happen again." I grab the pillow and backpack from her. She waves to me as I walk out the door. I wonder about Ryan's "angel" as I head toward my house.


	14. Target Acquired

**Chapter 14**

"_Can you see me there? Cooking for smiles? Me, who use to drink children's blood as my price." –Havoc, Darker than Black_

I wake up at 4am. I am wide-awake for no reason what so ever. Well, maybe not no reason. I can't say I have felt safe in my house after the heartless incident. Stephan following children doesn't help either. Who knows what could have happened if Patty and I arrived later. I don't want to think about it. Maybe he was just talking to Ryan though with no motive. I can't really see any motive behind Stephan wanting to learn how to do a good Vader impersonation. Unless, it was for normal points to get me to trust him! That must be it. Stephan has always been into the mind tricks. "_He wants a demon? Be careful what you wish for. I'll show you the power of darkness!_" Stephan had said before attacking Christan. "Be careful what you wish for," what is that suppose to mean…

I realize I'm pacing in my room. Oww, my head hurts. I let myself flop back on my bed. Just go to sleep. I hear a creak from the ceiling I leap out of bed. Just a squirrel, settle down, Sam. When did you get so jumpy? I am breathing heavily; it feels like some kind of pressure is steadily pushing me closer to the floor. "_You are so stressed lately, why don't you make yourself some tea_?" My mom use to tell me that before a test. Ugh, I hated that line as much as I hated the stupid tea. I can't believe I let her persuade me to have some of those icky leaves in my house. I guess some sleepy time tea wouldn't hurt. If I'm lucky it may even knock me out right there on the kitchen table.

I drag myself over to the kitchen, trying not to think too much about what I'm doing. It's better than taking some night cold medicine at least. I take out a mug from a cabinet, and pour water into it. I set the microwave for two minutes. I take out a tea bag, and wait. The mug spinning around reminds me of a music box dancer, and before I even take the tea out of the microwave, I'm knocked out on the kitchen floor.

* * *

><p>I wake up a couple hours later feeling a bit woozy. What was that? Pain shoots through my skull. I put my hand on the right side of my head where the pain is coming from. My fingers feel something sticky. I look at my hand a couple dry flakes of blood are on them. I get up to walk to the bathroom. My legs are asleep, so I have to use the side of the counter to get up. I look up at the microwave. The buttons are smashed in, and a giant florescent purple diamond is sticking out of it. "Wow," I tell myself. It feels like I survived an assassin's attempt to kill me.<p>

I try to pull the diamond thing out of the microwave. It slices through my hand. The wound burns. What the hell is that! I stare at it, for a second holding my wounded hand. I open a drawer and take out a large spoon. I poke the giant purple diamond with the spoon; it makes a metallic ring. I hit the diamond harder, it screeches. I throw my hands to my ears. I drop the spoon back in the drawer and sneakily walk away. I stare at the diamond the whole time, waiting for it to jump out of the wall. As I turn the corner the glint from the diamond disappears. I run back over to the microwave. I fall over on my way there. I look up at the microwave. The buttons are still broken and dented, but there is no sign that the diamond was ever stuck in it, or ever existed.

I walk over to the bathroom a little confused about what happened. I turn the water on and start rinsing off the scar on my hand. The blood doesn't seem to stop. The cut must be very deep. I take a giant bandaid out of the mirror cabinet and put it on my hand hoping it will stay. I raise my hand above my head to stop the bleeding. The blood starts to curl up the sides of the bandaid. I decide to ignore it and move onto washing off the disgusting scar on my head. It looks like someone hit me with a bat with nails sticking out of it. I get most of the dried blood off my face. I move my hair from behind my ear to conceal the small dent in my head.

My square bandaid falls to the floor. I look at my scarred hand. It's oozing a little, but not too bad. I take out another giant bandaid and slap it onto my hand. I throw the red encrusted one in the garbage, and walk back into the kitchen with my arm raised. I don't want to take any chances.

I glance at the clock. It mocks me by flashing a 12. Oh frick, it's 3 pm isn't it, or was I asleep for days. I better not have been a sleep for days! There would go both jobs, and I can kiss this house and collage good-bye. I turn on the computer, panicking. Please say July 18. My stomach grumbles. I groan and run into the kitchen, whip out a bagel, and throw it into my mouth. I leap back onto the chair by my computer with one arm still raised. The computer blinks to the main screen. I quickly click on the time button in the corner. It reads, "July 18, 3:10". Grr, why does it have to say three! Now I have to call Frank with some sob story about why I couldn't be at the library on time. I'll call him later; I really need to get out of my pajamas. They smell disgusting. Mental note: do laundry.

I put on a plain chocolate colored t-shirt and some shorts. I decide to take a shower. I doubt I will get into any more trouble if I'm later than I am already. I walk over to the bathroom, and reach over to turn on the water. My head suddenly starts spinning, and I almost fall into the tub. Ok, maybe I'm not going to work today.

* * *

><p>I lock my house and drop the key into my bag. I take a seat on my steps waiting for Christan to swing by in his car to give me a lift to the doctor. I feel bad making him worry. "What! I'll be right over." He said on the phone. He sounded so flustered. It's not that bad, I'm still breathing.<p>

"Fuck you! I don't give a dam what you say! I'm not going back." Is that Stephan? Geez, he sounds pissed. Wait, who is he talking to? I turn my head around to see if he is close by, nothing. I thought he couldn't talk to other people. I guess he did talk to Ryan. Why should I even be surprised anymore, anything can happen these days.

A man mumbles something I don't catch. "I'm not going to play the role of puppet again, hear me? Now leave me alone!" Stephan yells loudly.

"Anybody home?" I jump at the sound of Christan's voice. "Ready to go?"

"Umm, yeah." I reply and walk over to his car. We slam the car doors at almost the same time. Stephan's voice disappears behind the glass. Christan starts up the car.

"So what happened?"

"Huh?"

"To your head."

"Oh, umm something came through my window and hit me in the head. It must have knocked me out."

"Ouch, that's got to hurt." I don't respond. This is so weird without Patty. I can't say I've ever been very close to Christan. He's nice and I like him, but Patty has been friends with him forever and I don't want to mess anything up.

I spot a group of people in white clothes as we pass by the church. There are a bunch of chairs without tables scattered all over the yard, most of them are under trees. Most of the people are smiling as they talk, some children dance around the yard. One woman sits in a chair and weeps.

"Looks like they are doing some kind of wake." I break the silence.

"Nope, it's some kind of ritual thing. I think the whole neighborhood was invited. My family got an invite, too. It took a long time to convince my sister she can't go."

"Does that mean you are going?"

"Hell no. Rule number one for sacred rituals: never go unless you know and _completely_ trust the host. Otherwise you might become a sacrifice for some stupid rain dance or something." Christan laughs a little at the end to lighten the mood.

"They seem too happy to be sacrificing people."

"Masks come in all shapes and sizes, Sam." The rest of the car ride was void of conversation.

* * *

><p>"You know what? I don't feel dizzy at all, actually I couldn't feel better. Let's just drive back home." Seeing all the scratched up people in the waiting room for rabies shots made my stomach queasy. They are in such denial. They saw what attacked them, and it wasn't a pack of dogs. It makes me want to just rip something apart and scream my lungs out. The world is falling apart and everyone wants to pretend everything is fine.<p>

"Sam, we waited two hours to see a doctor, we are not leaving."

"But-"

"No, buts." Christan pushes me into the waiting room and shuts the room. I hop up on to the bed covered in paper. It's not that I don't want to be here, I just would rather be somewhere else. This place is too crowded, and I feel that is partially my fault.

The doctor walks in, "Sorry for the long wait. What is bothering you?" He says in a low friendly voice.

"She had a concussion, and was knocked out for a couple of hours." Christan answers for me.

"Any nausea?"

"No"

"Blurred vision?"

"No"

"Loss of memory?"

"No."

The doctor takes out a light and points it at my eyes as he looks into them one by one. "What caused the concussion?"

"An object broke through my window and hit me in the side of the head."

"What was this object?"

"I can't remember."

"Hmm, it was not a very severe concussion. Just get plenty of rest and drink a lot of fluids and you will be fine. If you would excuse me." He smiles at us as he leaves. I glare at Christan.

"Ok, ok! I get it! 'I told you so." He mocks me. I just keep glaring.

"Ok, geez. I'll pay for food, God." Christan groans as he leaves the room. I smile to myself. I'm starving.

-"Bye, Chirstan." I wave at him as I leave the Chinese buffet.

"I don-"

"I can walk home by myself! See, perfectly normal. Bye."

"Bye." He mumbles as he opens the door to his car. "It wouldn't be a problem, seriously."

"Bye Christan." I yell at him as I start walking down the street. I hear his car door close and the buzz of the engine. It slowly fades in with the other cars in the street. I sigh, thank god I got him off my back. I need alone time without blood, badly. I breathe in the crisp air and listen in for the silence. Wait, where are the singing birds? The sun hasn't set yet they should still be out. Huh, sadly I can't remember the last time I heard the birds sing. I was in the garden the other day, maybe I just ignored them. Either that or the heartless ate them. I snicker at the image of a heartless leaping off a building trying to catch a bird on a wire, but gets tangled up in the wire and the bird flies away.

A group of blue monsters run across the street in front of me. Looks like there is about four. Each one carries a bunch of food. One of them keeps dropping a box of Popsicles and the rest of the group waits for him to catch up. Then they start going again. Looks like they are in a hurry. Where are they going? I run after them into the middle of the street. A car screeches to a stop and the driver yells at me. I ignore her and focus on the little demons. I am determined not to lose them again.

They turn around a corner. I increase my speed, and almost fall onto my face from a crack in the sidewalk. I glance at the house on the right side of the street. There are people in white clothes in the trees. Knocked over chairs are scattered across the yard. The people have twisted faces. Each one has a noose around their neck; some are as young as five. I shudder and a tear falls down my cheek. Christan was right about the ritual being a sacrifice.

I hear the door swing open. I turn my head to the church across the street. One monster is holding open the door while the others rush in. I run after them and barely catch the door as the last monster picks up the cereal and cracker boxes it left on the ground and runs in. As I take a step into the church the last monster stares at me with its red eyes then at the floor shamefully. It runs with its goods into a room down the hallway. I follow it into the dark emptiness.

As I reach the door I here a voice come from the room, "Hey!" I hear the sound of fingers snapping, "What did I say about this? Put this junk back where you found it." He orders. I peer into the room. It is full of couches and bookshelves for some kind of study group. The food that the demons brought is in a pile at the foot of a dark red couch as some kind of offering. "I said get!" The monsters race over to the pile and pick up the food and sprint past me in a matter of seconds. A figure stands up from the burgundy couch and walks over to the door. I flinch as I see him coming and jump out of the way of the door. Where is a good place to hide? Before I can think of anything he walks through the door.

"I never thought you were the religious type, Sam." Stephan says as he walks through the door. The right side of his hoodie is tattered in the chest from where his own keyblade pierced his lung. I call my keyblade and point it at his throat. He doesn't even flinch. "No weapons in the church, genius." He remarks. His tone of voice pisses me off, but I let the key disappear anyway.

"Why did you talk to Ryan?" I demand.

"Does it matter?" Stephan starts walking down the hall. I run a little to catch up to him and stand in his way.

"Yes it does matter! What were you planning to do with Ryan?"

"What are you talking about?" He tries to walk around me, I step in his way again.

"You know exactly what I am talking about!"

"I wasn't doing anything! Geez, if you don't believe me ask the kid." He yells inches from my face. He crosses his arms and waits for me to step out of the way, "You done?"

"I am not done. You are suppose to be dead!"

"Yep, that makes twice, now."

"What?" Stephan walks past me. I stand there a second. He died before? I catch up to him again. "How did you-?"

"Haven't you listened to Mercy at all? She may be little, but she knows a whole lot more than you do. I am darkness, ok? Darkness can't die, it just becomes something else." His voice trails off on the last word. He turns into a big room.

"Then what the hell are you doing in a church, you murderer!"

"They have comfy couches." He walks to a curtain on the left wall. He takes out his key and uses it to move the fabric, revealing a door.

"Where are you going?" I ask nervously, realizing I was blindly following him the whole time.

He twists the key around aiming the blade at the keyhole in the door. A light beams from the keyblade, "Want to find out?"

I gulp. He throws up the curtain and quickly pushes the door open before the curtain shuts again. He holds up the curtain as he walks through the door. Stephan holds the fabric with the keyblade, waiting for me to grab it. After a second of uncertainty I decide to follow.

Stephan uses a fire spell to light up the spiral staircase. Heat starts to build up in the small space. I keep a hand on the stone wall to keep myself from falling. At the bottom of the stairs there is a bunch of junk piled all over the giant room that seems to go on forever. Stephan leaps down the last couple of stairs. He shoots a fireball into the air, it hits a lamp and lights it before the ball vanishes. Stephan starts rummaging through the random shit. I slowly walk down the stairs, awed by how much stuff is down here. I never thought I would ever see this much junk in one room. It just keeps going. I can see shadows of picture frames, tires, and furniture beyond our little lit circle. I take a step off the stairs. Quake! I step on a rubber duck. I pick it up and smile at it. What are you doing here? I throw it back in with the other stuff. I carefully plan my steps as I get closer to Stephan. "What are you looking for?"

"Found it!" Stephan picks up a scroll and flings it at me with his blade. I stare at the scroll. It has a broken wax seal on it. "Read it." I give a weird look, but he doesn't see it. He is too busy watching his steps as he walks over to a chair.

I open up the scroll and read monotonely, "_Long ago-"_

"Don't read it to me." Stephan says looking back.

I start over reading it to myself. It says, _"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Thus they began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves, and darkness was born in their hearts" _I glance up at Stephan, he is stabbing at a piece of wood that he found, as he waits patiently. I go back to reading, _"The war over the light spread bringing the darkness with it. Throughout this ordeal the darkness began swallowing the light and many people's hearts. After the battle ended it covered everything and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived in the pure hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world into the separated world we now call home. _

_To protect the light that now resides in each world we have created a lock to hide it away and keep history from repeating itself. We lie the responsibility on your shoulders keybearer, to protect the keyhole from anyone trying to destroy it. Thus we shall entrust you alone with its location. Let your heart be strong and never waver."_

I roll the scroll back up and throw it back into the pile of junk. "So, is that why you talked to Ryan? Planning on taking his 'pure' heart."

He snickers, "Nope. Just looking for the light switch."

"What did that scroll have anything to do with a light switch?"

"Lock, keyhole, light switch…same thing."

"Why don't you just call it a keyhole?" I ask thinking back to the reading.

"Light switch makes more sense." Stephan starts walking back up stairs. I follow. He takes the fire from the lamp with us. It hovers above our heads.

"…How?" I feel like such an idiot, asking an enemy for all the answers.

"When the heartless find it the light goes out." I remember the reading, "_It covered everything and the world disappeared." _Would that really happen, or just a figure of speech?

"Why are you telling me your plans?"

"My plans? Where did you get that idea? I thought you already knew my plans." He snickers as he quotes me from the night I killed him.

"You control the heartless."

Stephan grins, "I wish. I only have the four little Floods you followed here."

"You sent them to stalk me." I hiss at him.

"What! I never told them that! I'm sorry if they were following you. Sometimes I swear they have minds of their own."

"Sure." I reply sarcastically.

"If I wanted to stalk you I would do it myself." He looks over his shoulder with an evil smile, "I am very good at it." I slap him in the back of the head.

"Ow! Haven't you hurt me enough? I'm still healing from the last time you threw punches."

"Don't expect me to be a pacifist."

I trip on the next stair, falling down five steps. I barely catch myself on a wall with my foot. I reposition my legs and hands to pick myself up. Stephan reaches his arm out to me. I slap it away and lift myself up. I brush some cobwebs of my legs. Stephan stands there staring at me like a post. "What? Are we getting out of here or not?" I ask him. Stephan looks away quickly and starts heading up the stairs again.

He goes around the last bend of the staircase and disappears. Why does he always do that? I groan and open the door. The fire that hovered above me disappears. I pull back the curtain; a scrawny man stands behind it. He is glaring at me.

"If you weren't so loud, I would have thought you were stealing something."

"Umm…" I look up at him innocently.

"Not that we have anything to steal." His face changes completely. The man starts to pace. "This place is old like that, all wood and boring books. Hey, how did you get down there? I thought I locked it."

"…it was open." I try not to sound like I'm questioning my words. I step out from the doorway and let the door and the curtain close behind me.

"Really? Darn, I thought I remembered this time. I can be very forgetful, it's sad. Did you come in here for food? We have food. Good food, full of deliciousness. We even have Oreos. Oops, I ate those yesterday. See? Very forgetful."

"um…no?"

"Oh but I am! I forgot to dust the shelves yesterday and almost forgot to come today. Forgetful, forgetful!" He makes a fist and taps his head with it. Looks like some kind of memory thing. I start walking toward the door. He matches my pace. "So why are you in here, if not to steal and not for food? You must have come here for something? Guidance? Oh! I am the perfect one to give you that! I know about a lot! I forget a lot, too. Sometimes I remember though." He smiles from cheek to cheek. A Flood runs down the hall. At the end of the hall it twitches and runs into the bigger room. The man waves at it.

"Why do you let the demons in here?"

"Demon? What demon? That? That wasn't a demon. That was Envy."

"Huh?"

"Huh isn't a word, Miss. If you want an answer you must ask a proper question. That's what my teacher said to me. She was very nice, but she died of cancer last week." He looks up at the ceiling, "I won't ever forget!"

"…If that wasn't a demon…then what was that?"

"That was Envy. There are three others. Each one I call by the emotion it has. They are loose emotions in this world. They look funny, but you get use to it. Sometimes they do bad things, but then you tell them it is wrong, and they will stop. They like to do bad stuff. Well some of them do. Envy is not one of the better ones. She's not too bad though."

"If they do bad stuff why do you still let them in?"

A different Flood stands by a podium holding a binder. It starts ripping out one of the pages.

"Stop!" The man yells loudly. His voice booms and echoes through the whole church. I never thought he could make anything close to that kind of low sound.

The flood freezes and looks up at the man. Its red eyes challenge the scrawny man. The monster starts to rip the page again. "Don't make me come over there, Anger!" It drops the book. The Flood slumps down and slowly backs away from the binder.

"That was Anger. He is bad, very bad. He doesn't respect anything. Anger danced on the holy one's head. I showed him who is boss. Oh, yes I did. I did."

"Well, I'll be leaving." I say nervously. Get me out of here! This guy is crazy!

"Be careful, darkness is filling up the streets. It's bad. Have to keep the light hidden, you do. The people across the street wanted to protect the light, but they had to do something bad. They said it was good idea because it was a good cause, but I told them, 'not good idea', but no. No one listens to me." He stands by the door. His face is shadowed in grief.

"Are you talking about the suicide ritual across the street?"

"Yes, they wanted to keep the keyhole safe. They did. But they didn't know. Not what to do, not what is right. A keyhole needs to be locked to keep what is within safe. They didn't know. Even when I told them, they still didn't know." The man stares at his feet. Regretful of what he was unable to do.

I realize what I must do. I need to find Mercy, maybe she knows where the light switch is. I smile at him as I leave, "Thanks for the guidance." His eyes immediately brighten. The glass door shuts behind me. He waves at me madly on the other side. I shyly wave back. The sky is so dark. I look up at it and smile at the stars. I walk the rest of the way home almost hopeful.


	15. A Dream Is A Wish

**Chapter 15**

"_All this time and in the future you know your wish will never be granted."-D .N. Angel, Yukiru Sugisaki_

I walk on the path that led up to the library. I glance up the hill. Stephan sits at the top staring up at the sky. I smile and run up the hill. When I get to the top I let myself fall down on the grass. My breath is heavy. Stephan sits next to me munching on oreos.

"Want one?" He asks through darkened teeth. He hands me the open package.

"Yeah." I take one, and enjoy the chocolate. "What you looking at up there?" I look in the direction he is staring.

"Not really looking for anything, just listening."

"Listening?"

"Yeah, Sometimes when I look up at the sky I can hear my heart beat. Like it is waiting for me to find it just beyond the atmosphere." Stephan smiles, a genuine smile that makes me want to cry. I never realized how much he wants to belong.

"Does that make you a wondering soul?" I laugh a little. Stephan joins in.

"I guess so." We sit in silence for a while enjoying each other's company. I realize how bright everything is compared to Stephan's dark hair. He looks very out of place.

A Flood runs down the path and crosses a street. "So which emotion is that?" I ask thinking of what the man at the church said.

"That would be Regret."

"Could I have another oreo?"

"Yep." He passes me the package again, only a couple are left. Already? He inhales these cookies. I take two and give it back to him. Stephan puts the oreos on the ground on the opposite side as me. He puts his hand back on the ground. Stephan accidentally places it on mine. I feel his giant strong hand envelope mine before he quickly pulls it away.

"You have very warm hands." I say mockingly. Stephan turns a little red.

"Sorry…" He says awkwardly. I giggle like a schoolgirl.

"You can be so dense. What's with all the fake emotions anyway?" I tell him.

"I'm dense. Ha! Look who's talking!"

"Hey!" I elbow him. He pushes his hand into my shoulder knocking me over. I pull on his arm taking him down with me. We lay there laughing in the grass.

"So… on a random note: How did you break the barrier of reality?"

I point a pretend mike in his face. Stephan takes the mike from me, "Well, I was riding on my motorcycle one day and found the barrier of reality. I felt a little dare devilish that day so I built a ramp. I placed the ramp 10 feet from the barrier. I revved up the motor 50 yards away, and aimed it at the ramp. Then I smartly drove the motorcycle at the ramp at 200 mph. The bike tripped on the ramp, and flipped over sending me flying into reality smashing it to pieces. It was the most fun I ever had." He gives the mike back to me. We laugh at the crazy idea of the motorcycle and the ramp. I doubt his hair could ever be contained in a helmet.

"Seriously, how did you do it though?"

Stephan snickers, "I have no idea."

"Tell the truth! You can trust me!"

"I'm sticking with A) I have no idea. Final answer."

"I didn't know you were a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire fan."

"I'm not. Patty's parents watch it all the time."

"You still staying there?"

"Nope, moved to the church. Still living at the same house?"

"Yep, and had to redo all the windows. Now I have to fix yet another one."

"Why? What happened?"

"For all the windows breaking: a heartless invasion ran through my house. And for the one window: I was almost got shot in the face by a glowing diamond thing. Oh, the adventures of the apocalypse."

Stephan sits up quickly. "I'm sorry." He says quietly.

"About what?" I slowly sit up as well.

Stephan turns away from me, "It was my fault you got shot."

"How?" I ask, confused.

"I was fighting Braig. He shot at me. I dodged it. That was the shot that flew into your house."

"It's not your fault if you dodged it." I move my hand onto his shoulder to comfort him. He shrugs his shoulder away from my touch.

"I get a second chance and I just mess everything up again."

"Cheer up. You aren't dead yet. You have time to make things right."

"I guess so." He turns back around and puts his arms around his knees. We sit in silence for a while.

"How the heck do you get your hair to stay like that any way? It looks like a bomb exploded on your head." He laughs at my comment. He looks at me.

"Got bed head 24/7. Oh, you have a leaf in your hair." He says pointing it out. I brush my hands through my hair. "Did I get it?"

Stephan laughs. "Nope. Here I got it." He reaches toward my hair and swiftly sweeps in and picks it out. He flicks the leaf into the wind. I smile at him, "Thanks." Our eyes meet. Suddenly Stephan's expression changes to confusion. He looks deep into my eyes. It creeps me out. I look away. "What you looking at?"

"Sam, what are you doing in my dream?"

* * *

><p>I wake up startled to the sound of my alarm clock. What the hell was that! Everything was so out of place I can't believe I didn't know it was a dream at first. My hands are shaking. Was Stephan really there? I shiver at the though. Dream intrusions are so creepy. Or was I the one dream hopping? Blah, that was so gross. For some reason I wish I could fall back into that dream though. Everything was so happy there.<p>

I get out of bed and walk down the hall. Maybe I was wrong about Stephan all along. He doesn't control the heartless, therefore he cannot be connected to the ripping hearts out. What I saw that one night, maybe it was just a misunderstanding. I never did see him attack anyone. Well, he did attack Christan that one time, but Stephan only gave him scratches, and Patty…well she jumped in the way at the last minute. That time he saved me he hurt Mercy to protect me. When I battled Stephan he never really tried to hurt me. Every time he swung his blade he expected me to dodge it. The worst that he did was get my hair stuck in the cement, and he could have done much more damage.

"_What are you waiting for? Vanquish the evil_." Why would he say that if he knew he was going to live? Did he just want to disappear? All this time he was never able to talk to anyone. No one was even able to notice he was even there. Stephan was never a part of the world.

I pour myself a glass of orange juice. I place it on the table and sit down. My head falls into my hands. I weep, "I'm sorry I killed you, Stephan."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thank you for reading people! Don't forget to leave reviews. Good, bad, or ugly, I don't care which.<strong>_


	16. Some Call It Mercy

**Chapter 16**

"_I used to be afraid of the dark," he said. "But sometimes it's the best place to be. Sometimes you can see things in the dark that you can't see in the light."-Forney, Where the Heart Is_

I pick up The Guardians' business card and dial the number at the bottom of it. It took me almost all morning to find that blasted card. The phone rings twice before anyone picks up.

"Hello this is the Guardians' main office. We protect people from the paranormal and unusual." The operator giggles. Her voice sounds distant in the phone. "Greg, stop it! I'll catch up with you later, ok. Later! I'm on the phone with a client." "How may I help you?"

My vision of the organization being very serious about their work is completely shattered. I don't want to know what is happening on the other end of the line. I take a deep breath to clear my head, "I would like to speak with Mercy."

"Ok, I'll pencil you in next week. What day works best for you?"

"Next week! I need to talk to her as soon as possible. Today or tomorrow will be great." I tell her sternly. For all I know the world is not even going to be here next week. I need to ask her about the keyhole, I hope she knows where it is. She better know where the stupid light switch is! I have no idea where to look and time is running out. If everything keeps going the way it is, the town will be deserted and the heartless will turn the lights out on everything before anyone even realizes the danger.

"Sorry, ma'am, there is no way for me to do that. Mercy is a very busy young woman and doesn't have time to talk to all of our clients. Might I ask who is calling?"

"Samantha Colet. The one your organization tortured last week." I tell her grumpily.

"oh…I am very sorry to hear that. I could have you talk to a representative if you would like. We even make house calls, if that works better for you."

"I need to talk to Mercy! Not some random person there!"

"I'm sorry, but like I said, Mercy is not available-"

I slam the phone down on the receiver breaking the connection. I collapse on the floor and cuddle up by the wall. What am I suppose to do?

Ding-dong. I sigh and pick myself up to go to the door. It better be someone selling Girl Scout cookies. I open the door and see a young red head. "I didn't know you sell stuff, Mercy." I say surprised at her timing.

She fidgets, "Umm, I don't sell stuff. The Guardians don't sell stuff… I was just wondering if you would like to go down to the festival with me?"

I stand there stunned, unsure what to say. Festival? I thought they said Mercy was busy with work.

"Never mind, it was stupid to ask. Sorry for wasting your time." Mercy says quickly to avoid the silence. She turns away from the door looking defeated.

I get back to my senses, "Wait! I would love to go. I just wasn't expecting this. Just give me a second." I run into my house and grab my book bag. I check how much money I have in my wallet. I have $30, that should be enough. I run back out the door and lock it. Mercy is sitting down on the steps. "You ready to go?" I ask her. She stands up and starts walking with me down the street. Mercy stares at the ground, not knowing how to spark up a conversation. I let her think. After we walk halfway she starts to open up to me nervously, "I don't know why I am actually doing this, I just had one of those gut feelings. You know? Like I needed to talk to you about something, but forgot what it was."

"That's crazy because I just called your organization to talk to you." Mercy snickers at me. "What?" I ask. I give as much happy tone in my voice as I can stand.

"All the members say I have impeccable timing. Whenever they ask for me, or say my name, I will walk by a couple minutes later. They say it never fails."

"Do you actually believe that, Mercy?"

"Sorta, I have never heard my name called any of those times, but I trust the other members. It's weird to think you have a talent without even realizing it." Mercy smiles at me. I try smiling back, but it feels half-hearted.

"I was wondering about the scar on your left cheek." I try to act sensitive toward the topic. "How did you get it?"

Mercy's smile disappears and she moves her braid over the scar. "It was a heartless attack when I first got my keyblade. It was only my third time using it and I was clumsy." She pauses. "It was my first encounter with a neoshadow. It sank into the ground, slid under me, and rose up from the ground. Its claws were bared and it flung me into the air."

I grimace at the thought, "That must of hurt."

Mercy smiles slightly, "It could have been worse. Before I landed on the ground a blue creature called a Flood caught me, and defeated the neoshadow. The Flood disappeared before I could thank it."

"Is that why you told me about Floods on the bus that day?" I wonder how much she actually knows about the little guys. One thing is for sure she has no idea they are Stephan's minions. I wonder if Stephan sent the one to save Mercy, or if it came under its own "intentions".

"Yeah… I'm sorry about them torturing you. I should have done something." Mercy blurts out, and kicks a rock sending it tumbling down the street, and into a gutter.

"Don't blame yourself. You didn't do anything."

"Yes I did! The marble I gave you had a spell on it to sap your energy and make you faint. Without me…"

"They would have just sent someone else." I interrupt her. "There is no sense beating yourself up over it. What is done is done." A voice whispered in the back of my head, "you should follow your own advice." I shake it off.

Mercy just stares at the ground. I give her a half hug over the shoulder, "Brighten up! We are going to a fair, right?"

"Yeah…"

"No sad faces."

"Could you stop touching me?" Mercy says. I remove my arm quickly.

"Sorry, if that was awkward, cause you don't know me well."

"Don't worry about it. In the past, right?" She smiles. "You don't have to pretend to be all cheery when you are with me, Sam."

"Who says I'm acting?"

"Your face." I snicker at her comment. Dam military training.

"I shall follow your advice, Master Mercy. What other wisdom do you have to bestow upon me for this journey?" I say montonely.

Mercy giggles, "I'm no master! I've had the keyblade for maybe a couple months, tops."

"Sooo…who gave you the key?"

"Nobody."

"You don't know?"

"I do, she just never said her name. I asked her and she just said she was nobody."

"That's weird."

"…Any other questions?" Mercy doesn't seem comfortable with the topic. I don't want to intrude too much.

"Umm, anything special I need to know about the key?" I ask her remembering what Stephan said, _"Haven't you listened to Mercy at all? She may be little, but she knows a whole lot more than you do."_

"Let's see…There are two types of keys: Light and dark. Only keys of light can close the keyhole. Keys of darkness can unlock hearts." Mercy sputters out quickly. I stop her before she blows me away with unnecessary information.

"About the keyhole, do you know where it is?"

"Noo." Mercy says questioning my motives. "Why do you ask?"

"The heartless are rampaging. Aren't they going after the keyhole?"

"I don't think so…the keyhole was just a security thing to keep the heart of the world safe. It should be locked."

"What do you mean should be locked?"

"I don't know, ok! I know very little about the keyhole. It is only mentioned a few times in the references at home base."

I remember the scroll Stephan showed me. Was that the only copy? And it's lying in a junk pile in a random basement! So much for taking the easy route. I sigh. How can the Guardian's know nothing about the keyhole? Or are they keeping something from Mercy?

"Everything we know is very new. None of it existed until the Empty One appeared here."

"Which was?"

"About a year ago."

I stare at the ground wondering. Hoping to find a hole in the dimension among the gravel that solves everything. How can I find something that is not suppose to be found?

"We are here!" Mercy calls. I look up. What the heck is this? I thought we were going to a festival not a wake. A choir sings mournfully in a corner of the parking lot. Dark tents are everywhere each one looks like it's selling some kind of dark voodoo stuff. Is that a monkey claw? Ewwww! Christan would love being here, but I think I just found my hell.

Mercy starts walking toward a tent with charms hanging off the top off it. I just stand there like a fool hoping to disappear. After she takes a few steps she realizes I'm not with her.

"Sam, you ok?" It takes me a moment to remember she is talking to me.

"…yeah."

"Don't be such a scaredy-cat! These people are nice, I go here every year." She smiles at me. I take a deep breath, here goes nothing.

"Where to?"

Mercy starts walking again I keep pace with her. "First we are going to hit the amulet shops. Then we will move on to spells. After that we will hit the food stands. Lastly the grand finale."

"Umm, grand finally?" I gulp.

"It's a secret."

Oh, God I am gonna die.

We get to the first station. Mercy starts explaining the different amulets and what they are each for. "This one is for healing. Oh! This one grants you true love. The purple one gives you wisdom. That orange one is to repeal demons. You should get it! The amulet will help you with your umm…problem." She smiles innocently as she hands me the amulet. I just stare at it.

The crystal looks like it is made out of amber. It is a light orange, if the crystal was a little lighter it would match Stephan's eyes… Think about something else! Focus, Sam! Mercy is waiting for a response.

"You know what? I'll buy it for you." She hands money to the clerk.

"I don't really…"

"I insist!" She throws the amulet into my hands. I barely catch it by the string. Well I guess it is kinda pretty. The dark gold with the black around it swirling around the crystal looks hard to make. There is a bug in the crystal! Ewww, I drop it into a pocket to forget about it. "I'm ready to move on."

"Ok! Onto spells!"

I wish I had my shift at the grocery store earlier I need a reason to get out of this mess. She didn't even give me any information about the keyhole, this is such a waste of time. Mercy talks on and on about the different stuff that people are selling. I tune most of it out. Just smile and nod. Too bad this isn't one of those fun carnivals, you know the ones with the rides, and without the rotting flesh?

After an hour of going from stall to stall we decide to stop for lunch. I buy a turkey leg that, besides the smell, was delicious. Mercy on the other hand had a cup of goulash junk. It looks like they took a cow, ground it up, threw it in a cup and microwaved it. The junk seems to attract flies, or maybe I am just over exaggerating.

One more hour until I have to go to work. I never thought I would be so happy to visit the grocery store.

"You done?" Mercy asks as she gets up from the bench we were eating on.

"Yep," I tell her as I drop my turkey bone into the cup, "What's next?"

Mercy walks over to a trashcan and drops our trash in. "The grand finale" She says with a sinister grin. I roll my eyes. Just one hour left, you can take this. Keep yourself together, Sam.

Mercy almost skips to the last tent. I walk as slow as I can without losing sight of her. Can't I just ditch? I got my information… Why didn't I think of this earlier! I see a bus start to pull up to a bus stop right next to the parking lot. This is it. I can run past the row of tents and get to the sidewalk, I should be able to make it before the bus leaves. I casually sneak a look at Mercy. She is too focused on finding the right tent. Well, it's been fun.

I charge past the tents to the sidewalk. The bus just starts to stop. I run in front of the door. It opens and people start piling out. Come on, come on. The door lies empty, I take a quick step forward. Mercy jumps in front of me, arms crossed. "Where do you think your going?"

"I have to get to work."

"No you don't, not for another hour."

"Stalker." She shouldn't know that! Dam military training.

"Come on!" Mercy tugs on my arm, leading me back to the psychotic fair. I wave apologetically at the bus driver before he leaves.

We stop in front of an enclosed tent, which has a sign that reads "Fortune Teller". I will die before going in there! Last time I had my palm read was when I was five, and she yelled at me, "Destroyer, go to Hell! I hope you burn! Leave! Leave I say!" My parents got me out of there quickly. I am NOT going through that again. I make another run for it; Mercy sticks out her leg. I trip and fall into the asphalt. "Oww." I moan as I look at the gashes on my elbows.

"You can't escape. It's not that bad! They tell fortunes not fates." Mercy shoves me through the screen. I look back at her with puppy dog eyes. Behind her I see Stephan's dark hair, before I can get his attention Mercy pushes me farther into the tent.

"I have been expecting you, Samantha."

The tent is small and dark. The woman that spoke is hidden at the back. Small candles line the walls. Neither one is giving off much light. My hands start to shake. Stephan saved me once from torture; can't he save me again? I reach into my pocket for something to fiddle with to keep me from exploding into panic. My hand falls on the amulet Mercy gave me. I take it out and start twisting the chain around my fingers.

"Please, sit down."

I follow her simple orders and sit on a chair in the middle of the tent. It is facing a table with a skull on it. The woman moves forward in her chair to let me see her on the other side of the table. I feel like I'm five years old again.

"I'm sorry but I require my pay before hand, $15 please." She extends her arm to me. I flinch, then reach into my bag for the money. I give her $15 exactly. As I give the woman her payment our hands brush against each other. The woman almost pulls her hand back like she felt an electric shock, but instead she waits until the money is safely in her hand.

"You have already had a palm reading, correct?"

I nod and stare down at the amulet to avoid eye contact. I let my finger trace the edges of the crystal. One bump sticks out.

"Why did you come here if you don't want to be here?" It sounded like she knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from me.

"You know my name, You already know the answer." I mumble, still preoccupied with the amulet. I start rubbing at the bump with my nail, trying to peel it off.

She smiles at my comment. "You have quite a character, but you are weakening."

I look up at her. What was that suppose to mean? How dare she call me weak! I scrap the bump off the amulet and smash it between two fingers. It makes a buzzing noise before it bursts. So Mercy was trying to record me. Nice try.

The fortuneteller looks from the smashed device to my face. "You know so little."

"What are you trying to get at?" I ask her, my temper is blaring. All traces of anxiety melt away.

"You are letting yourself sink into the darkness without knowing what awaits you. Listen to your heart, Samantha. It is trying to lead you in the right direction."

I cross my arms and slouch in my chair. What a smart-alec.

"The heart tries to speak to you through your dreams, to warn you of consequences. Don't underestimate what your dreams speak of."

I just stare at her unamused. If I would have known this was going to be a lecture I would have ran faster. "You done?"

"Not yet." There is a moment of silence. The fortuneteller closes her eyes as she senses the world around her. I yawn.

"Your light is weak you must protect it."

I get up to leave, I am sick of this.

"Believe in the people around you. Their hearts are stronger than you think."

I stop at the door. Would she? …Maybe. "Where is the keyhole?"

"Protected in plain sight from the heartless."

"Give me more of a hint than that." I groan.

"Give me $15 more."

"Thanks for the help." I reply sarcastically. I don't have enough money to pay this witch nor do I want to. The curtain swings shut behind me.

Mercy sits on a bench outside the entrance twirling her thumbs. As I walk past her she looks up and follows me. "What do you want?" I growl at her.

"I just want to know how it went." She skips a little as she speaks. I ignore her and focus on getting to the bus stop. "Come on! It couldn't have been that bad."

"Oh, it was grand. I hope you were able to record the whole thing." I tell her sarcastically. I quicken my pace.

Mercy scratches the back of her head, "Oh, you found it…. Umm, well you wanted information from me soooo, can't you return the favor?"

We get to the bus stop, I look nervously down the street for the bus. It is nowhere in sight.

"I just wanted to know more about…that guy… what did you call him? Oh, yeah! Stephan. There has to be a reason why you can see him, right? Did the fortune teller say anything-"

"No, she did not." I snap and sit down on a bench. I want to rip her cute little face off. I'll show that stupid witch who is weak. What the hell does she know anyway! "You think I know everything about Stephan. He tells me nothing but lies and gibberish. Then he sneaks into my freaken dreams! Why do you care anyway? Don't you have a_ serious_ heartless problem to solve. Instead of fighting them you are wasting you time with this shit." I throw the charm Mercy gave me back at her. It lands in Mercy's lap. She picks it up.

"He was in your dreams?" Mercy asks sensitively. She tries to make eye contact I turn away.

"Just leave me alone. Nothing matters, alright! You don't matter, I don't matter, Stephan doesn't matter, this whole world doesn't fucking matter! We are just going to fade into darkness right. All because of those God dam heartless!" I felt a warm liquid run down my palm. My nails sunk deep into my skin. I didn't even realize I made a fist. I snicker at the pain and put my arm over the sidewalk. I grin as each drop hits the pavement. "Might as well enjoy it while it lasts."

Mercy gulps at my statement. She looks up at the sky to avoid looking at me. "You are such a mess."

"Thanks a lot, Captain Obvious."

"I saw you the night you killed him, Stephan I mean."

I laugh, "Did you see the body?"

Mercy frowns. "I didn't need to, the giant bloodstain was enough evidence. Did he tell you how he came back?"

"How did you know he came back?"

"You just told me. Now, did he tell you how he came back?"

"Something about being darkness." My blood starts to clot and form into a scab. I look for the bus again.

"He lied, you killed him with his own weapon. It is impossible to kill anyone with their own keyblade."

"Smart-alec." I mumble. The bus drives up the corner and stops. I walk into the bus not looking back. Mercy calls from behind, "I'm glad you came."

-Paul was happy I came a little early to work, at least he was until I snapped at a costumer for taking too long with their groceries. It shouldn't take 20 minutes to load a bag of apples, a box of cereal and some soda cans on a conveyor belt. He gave me a big pep talk on costumer appreciation and told me to bulk up and leave my issues at the door. I apologized half-heartedly and went back to work.

The store is pretty slow today. We probably have crappy sales and people are off buying stuff somewhere else. I munch on some bubble tape. Yes, I did pay for it. I'm not some low life that steals gum for kicks.

I feel half asleep from boredom. The only thing keeping me awake are the anxiety spiders crawling in my stomach. How much time does the world have left until lights out? The fortuneteller said the keyhole is in plain sight. Did she have to be so vague? That could be anywhere. The world is at stake and all she cares about is money! All the hope I had is down the drain and sinking somewhere in the ocean. We are all doomed.

Two characters walk into the grocery store. One is tall and muscular with a disgusting ponytail, and the other one is about half his size, is thin as a stick and has a ski mask on. I smile and wave at the guys they both avoid my eye contact. They determinedly walk to the back of the store. A shiver crawls down my spine. I look behind me at Paul in the next register over. He didn't even see them walk in. He is too involved in the lame magazine he is reading. Paul and celebrity gossip are two peas in a pod.

I look around to see if they are still in the back. I don't see them. I take out a grocery bag and hide it under the counter. I open the cash register. Might as well hide the money if we are stood up.

"Thanks for opening the register." I look up and see a gun in my face. Ponytail Man has a horrible smirk as he holds the gun. Little Ski Mask is standing behind him trying to look sinister with his small stature.

"Hand the nice lady a bag for the money." Ponytail man whispers to Little Ski Mask who without hesitation opens a grocery bag. What is this, bring your kid to work day?

Ponytail Man keeps worriedly glancing at Paul. I look to the side, Paul is still consumed by his magazine. Some manager he is. I start dropping money into the paper bag.

I start thinking quickly. What should I do? This store is too old to have a police panic button, or any really fancy security system. Dam, it is so hard to think with a gun in my face.

"Come on, we don't have all day."

I finish dropping in the coins. "Thank you, so much." Ponytail man says with a grin. I want to gag.

"You, stand guard here to make sure sweet cheeks doesn't do anything stupid you here me?" Ski Mask nods. Ponytail Man turns to me. "Nothing stupid, or your brains are shot."

I smile trying to keep myself from leaping over the counter and straggling him, "Of course, sir."

"Yeah, don't move a muscle." Little Ski Mask's voice is high pitched compared to the other robber's bellow.

The man walks over to Paul and starts yelling orders at him.

"You seem kinda young to be stealing" I tell the kid, he shuffles back and forth. He is probably trying to think up what the older robber told him to do in this situation. "Here, would you like some candy? I have some bubble tape. I ate some of it, but it doesn't have my cooties." I hand him the gum. He takes it with out hesitation and starts analyzing it.

I take the distraction to grab the trashcan from under the counter. I take a step away from my register and chuck the plastic can at Ponytail man's head. Direct hit! He stumbles a little bit from surprise. I call the keyblade into my left hand.

"You are going to pay for that, bitch!"

I leap over the conveyor belt and run at him. The robber points his gun at me. I hit him in the chin with the hilt of the keyblade as he fires a shot. After the first swing I throw my right arm around. The palm of my hand collides with his face sending him hard into the floor. I step on the wrist of his hand holding the gun. He loses his grip. Ponytail Man reaches for the gun with the other hand. I drop my other foot on his chest pinning him to the ground. I grab the gun off the floor. "Daemon!" The man yells signaling Ski Mask to grab the bag. The kid leaps over my register and runs for the bag. Paul gets there at the same time Daemon does. They both start pulling on the bag. I put my keyblade to the older robber's neck and aim the gun at the kid. I look down at Ponytail Man.

"Call him off, or your head is disconnected."

Little Ski Mask lets go of the bag. "What are you doing? We can't let them win. Use your gun, Daemon! You idiot!" The man roars.

I sink the blade further into his neck a little. He starts to bleed. "You think this is a joke?" I sneer. Ponytail Man starts to whimper.

"I'm done ok! No more robbing! Clean slate, I promise! Just don't kill me!"

What a lying bastard.

Paul takes the bag of money to a back room as far away from the scene as possible. I lift the blade from Ponytail Man's neck, and let him get up.

"Thank you so much for sparing my life! I see the world in a different light now." He says in a mocking gentlemanly tone. I quickly slash him in the shoulder with my key leaving a large bleeding gash and ripping his clothes. I hope it is permanent.

"Get out." I say leaving no room for questioning. Ponytail Man runs out of the store as fast as he can, Little Ski Mask is not far behind him. Before the kid leaves he glances back at me, he is still holding the bubble tape.

The key disappears from my hand. Who is weak now fortuneteller? When Paul appears from the back room I throw him the robber's gun.

"What happened there! How did you- when did you get a sword?" Paul asks as he catches the gun.

I take off my apron and lay it on his register. "It doesn't matter, I'm leaving." I walk out the doors. Paul has nothing left to say.


	17. Something Wicked

**Chapter 17**

"_Longing to vanish in death, without a trace and to return to the elements from which he came echoes his lifelong hunger for anonymity, for disappearing without a name, or with a fictitious name, so that his true identity would be lost forever. The life of a pseudonym is the life of a dead man, of one whose does not exist." –In the Lake of the Woods, Tim O' Brian_

I squint at the clock on my dresser. It reads 10 am. I put my pillow over my head and try to fall back to sleep. Today is going to be a crappy day, I can feel it. I don't need to do anything today so might as well sleep through it, or at least for three more hours.

My eyes fall back into the luxury of sleep. It has been a while since I have been able to sleep in, but that doesn't seem to help. I feel weak and broken as I lie there as my consciousness fades in and out. The gravity is to great today and my heart to heavy. I am only a wreck that is sinking closer and closer to the darkness at the center of the Earth.

I hear a melodic tone in the distance. I ignore it and close my eyes again. The tone goes off again. Is that my phone? Ring. Yep, but I'm not answering it. I will not submit, I shall be a lazy bum today. NO work for me, NO people to meet, nothing I need to do. Ring. Shut up, phone! Ring. Ok, ok, I'm coming.

I pull myself out of bed and run into the side of my bedroom door on the way to the phone. Oww, my head. Ring. I drag myself over to the kitchen and pick up the phone.

"Hello?" I grumble sounding as pissed off as I would if it was 2am instead of 12pm.

"Hi, Sam! I was wondering if you wanted to go to a movie today with me and Christan?" Patty sounds disgustingly cheerful today.

"Probably not."

"Please! It would be fun!"

"You two can go without me."

"It won't be the same though! It's one of those movies you like. A crazy sappy romance that has action spewed all over it. Please, for me? You do owe me for letting you stay at my house."

"That's harsh. You must really not want to be alone with Christan." Maybe if I piss her off she will leave me alone.

"That is not it at all! You have been working all summer; we barely hang out any more. It is only an hour and a half movie…"

"What is the movie about." Grrr I need a reason out, fast.

"Lovey-dovey gangster, it is called Coffee 4 Two. We are going to be laughing through the whole movie. Plus they have a rocket launcher."

"…I've been feeling sick today."

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP! You are going to the movie like it or not. I will pay for your bloody ticket if I have to. If you ditch, I swear to God-!"

"I get the picture, geez you are loud today."

Patty doesn't react to my comment; "See you at the theater at 2. bye." She hangs up. Patty sure sounded pissed. What the heck happened to her? Is this movie really that important?

I throw a banana in my mouth and grab a robe from my room. I chuck the banana peel and turn on the lights in the bathroom. I flip on the water for a shower and let it run. I almost fall over when I see words written in black sharpie, in my handwriting, all over the mirror. _"__Do Not Leave"_

Holy shit, I am so possessed. I have walked in my sleep before but nothing this freaky. My stomach twists oddly like it is trying to eat itself. "_Don't underestimate what your dreams speak of_." Didn't the Fortuneteller say that? Does that count for sleepwalking? Or is it Stephan messing with my mind, again?

I should have followed my instincts and not gotten up this morning.

* * *

><p>It takes me three tries to get the key to turn right in the lock, and about two minutes to unjam my key from the lock. I throw my key into my book bag and slam the door shut. I am ready to explode. I am tired. I am cranky. Curse you stupid world!<p>

I kick an empty can down the street. Well, I thought it was empty. The darn thing hits the ground and spurts beer on my pants. Grrr, Patty is so going to pay for making me come. I shall make her buy all the chocolate at the cinema.

The dark skies hide any trace of the sun. Any one driving by would think it is 7 at night instead of still mid day. Dark green clouds loom in the west, creeping ever closer as they threaten a tornado. The humidity makes everyone feel like they are walking through a hot tub, and just when no one can take it anymore the wind blows, freezing everything in site. I didn't think this kind of weather could even exist.

I trudge by the library and the hill. Then I walk past the church. I glance at the yard across from it. Chairs are still scattered under the trees. The yard is lined with police tape and all the bodies have vanished along with their ropes. I keep walking without even flinching at the thought. If they thought they could save the world by committing suicide then more power to them. I just wish it worked.

I turn the corner and walk a block before getting to a stop sign. I drag myself across the street and by the gift shop. At the end of the street is the cinema. Patty and Christan are standing at the entrance, waiting for me. I slacken my pace.

"Faster, Sam! Or we will miss the movie!" Patty yells at me. She is completely enthusiastic through and through. Was she waiting for this movie to come out? Christan on the other hand looks like he is in almost the same mood as me. Both of us were dragged here without choice, when there are better things to do.

* * *

><p>I wait in the theater lobby, alone. I take one last slurp of pop and finish up my box of Junior Mints, and drop them in a trash bin. Christan and Patty both had to go to the bathroom after that gawd awful movie. Both of the bathrooms are very deep so that it is impossible to see any lines, so for all I know, I will be waiting here for the next two months.<p>

I glance out the giant windows. No rain yet. I start tapping my foot in anticipation. I really don't want to be outside when the storm hits. My umbrella won't help me with all this wind.

Someone behind me does a high low whistle. I ignore them thinking the whistle is for the blond clerk with the low cut shirt. The whistle sounds again. What is with this guy? I turn around. What the-? There is no one there.

"Hey, there." The man's voice comes from behind me. I whip around and almost knock into him. I didn't expect him to be so close. The man has black hair and an eye patch. He has a scar on his left cheek. His clothes look like a cross between a pirate and a soldier, completely dark blue with giant brass buttons on top and dark boots.

I see a car pull up outside. I lie, "Oh! My ride is here, bye." I walk past him. He turns with me and grabs my left hand, holding it in his. A shiver crawls down my spine. I look to the clerk pleading for her to do something. She just gives me a thumbs up and the man waves at her. Are they in cahoots? Where is Christan and Patty? One of them should be out of the bathroom by now. Think, Sam.

We walk out the door. I shuffle through my bag for my umbrella. I switch it around in my hand so that the hooked handle will face my kidnapper. I lung at him aiming for the face and the neck. The man grabs my right hand mid air. He pulls at my fingers then he twists them while bending them backwards. I drop my umbrella and hear a crack as pain shoots up my arm. I moan.

I struggle and make a run for it. "What's the rush?" the man steps on my foot and pulls me back with my left arm. He swings it over his shoulders and repeats the gesture with his right arm making us look like a couple. He holds me close and whispered to me, "Make a scene, and I'll break your neck." His sweaty B.O. screams bad guy.

He pulls me down the street effortlessly. I want to scream, but no one is walking the streets because of the storm coming, and I won't question this guy's ability to break bone. Dam it.

"I was expecting a little more struggle from a keyblader." He grins.

"Huh?" How does he know? "Are you with the Guardians?"

"Those freaks? As if. I'm with the big leagues. The Master wants his toy back, and I'm here to deliver."

"What are you talking about?" I struggle. Toy? He better not be talking about me, I was never with "the Master" to begin with!

"Darkheart had his taste of freedom now we are just calling him back. The doggie is a little lost though and needs some bait."

"Darkheart?"

"The boy that has been following you around. He had blond hair that turned black, gave you your keyblade."

"I have no idea who you are talking about." Could he be talking about Stephan? Darkheart…Stephan is supposedly darkness. So the name would fit.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about, poppet. I bet you have no idea why he is following you around though."

I don't say a word. What is up with this guy?

"As I thought. The guy has been feeding off you! Without you he would have vanished already." He needs acting lessons. Something seems off in his voice. Why is he telling me this? And why with such enthusiasim?

"Why should I believe you?" I spit in his face.

"You know, that isn't very nice. I'm giving you high quality information here."

"Like I care."

"Where was I? … You see light and darkness are two sides of a coin; one cannot exist without the other. Since Darkheart lost the part of him that is light, his darkness is fading away as well. That is where you come in. You and Darkheart are alike. That gives him an edge and the ability take your light. You follow, poppet?"

"Sure…" Does this guy know how to shut up? What a load of bull.

"To take your light all he has to do is make you switch emotions from a light emotion to a dark one. Like from happy to sad, you got me? Each time your heart does that, a spark is released. And BAM! Darkheart has more darkness to live off of." He flails his arms around a little as he speaks.

Well, that does explain why he always makes me angry whenever we met. Did he only meet me for his own benefit? Am I no different than air? Why should I listen to this kook? Stephan isn't like that, he …how much do I really know about him anyway?

"Every time he takes some light, your heart breaks down. This kid then waits for you to recover, then strikes again. If you help me convince Darkheart to leave here, he will never bother you again. The darkness will disappear, and the birdies will come back."

"Of course I will help you! I need to repay you for breaking my hand some how!" I soak my words in sarcasm. We walk by the library and into the field leading to the hill.

"Ouch, I know that was a bad first impression, but I am harmless compared to that Light Sucker. He will suck you dry. Can't you feel the darkness sinking in?" He whispers the last part in my ear. My eyes start to water. Everything is blurred I can't tell where the lies end and truth begins.

"I thought you would put up more of a fight, Sam." I look up when I hear Stephan's voice. He lips the words for a spell. I can feel my right hand healing.

"I have an agreement for you. Come back to Master Xehnort and I won't kill your girlfriend." The eye-patched man yells.

Stephan's eyes harden, "Shut up." I thought the man was going to burst into flames under the stare. Instead the man just laughs. I call my keyblade.

"You are going soft, Vanitas. Soft and weak." I take the opening and swing the key into his gut. The man buckles over. Stephan laughs and sinks into the ground. He later appears under the man and thrusts him skyward. The man falls to the ground in a flurry of flames.

"Who are you calling weak now, Braig?" Stephan yells at him. I remember thinking the same thing except with the fortuneteller. "_You and Darkheart are alike." _Everything clicks into place. The man wasn't lieing...

"You don't want the deal?" Braig teleports out of Stephan's reach. He takes out two guns and aims them at me. "She dies."

He teleports behind me and shoots a bunch of rounds. I turn around and brace myself. Stephan runs into me knocking me over and teleports us away. We fall on the ground. Stephan quickly gets up, "Stay here."

I am the same as air to him. He only keeps me alive so that he doesn't disappear.

I sit there in the grass and watch the two battle. I can't take this. I walk along the side of the fence closer to the battle. I slowly quicken my pace as I get closer. I grasp the key for dear life. This ends now.

I throw my key at them both. They duck. Braig turns toward me. I leap into the air and kick him in the face knocking him to the ground. (Soccer actually paid off.) I keep one foot on his face pinning him down.

"Wow, that was awesome-! …Sam?" I call my key back and point it at Stephan's face.

"What are you doing? I'm not the enemy here." Stephan tells me. His gaze looks both hopefull and scared.

"Stop lying to me! I am not stupid, Stephan! Or should I even call you that? It is just a fucking alias to keep Mercy from telling me anything,isn't it? And now you plan to rip my heart apart to keep yourself from disappearing. You selfish freak, stay away from me!"

"Sam, I… can explain."

"I would like to see you try." I glare at him. He opens his mouth to say something, but just shuts it again and looks at the ground. I push Braig's head into the ground one more time before I start walking toward the hole in the fence. Stephan reaches for my hand, "Sam." I let his hand fall through mine like water.

"Go take someone else's light." I growl at him.

I quicken my pace. The silence is making me nervous. Even the wind is quiet. I hear Braig break the silence from behind me, "What's with the long face? Don't tell me that sap Ventus actually gave you feelings! Remember who you are, Vanitas and what you are meant to do."

I keep walking, feeling more numb with every step. This had to happen at some point. That dream of smiling and eating oreos could never happen.

There is a long silence before Braig says, "I believe this is yours. Why don't you finish what you started." He must be talking to Stephan. I want to look back, but if I do… I won't be able to move forward. I reach the hole in the fence.

Floods leap up from the ground. All four of them face me. I take a deep breath hoping this is just a coincidence. I take a stepforward, Three of the Floods leap at me. They flip me around so that my back faces the fence. Anger and Sadness secure my arms as they stand on the fence. Envy holds onto one of my legs and beckons Regret over. Regret just takes a step back, not wanting to get involved. I struggle in their grasp. Braig has disappeared from the field.

"Did you really think I would disappear that easily? You really are an idiot."

With the Floods pulling me down Stephan looms over me by a foot. I stare up at him, "What is with the weird get-up?" I mumble as I try to smile, but realize I have forgotten how. Stephan has a mask hiding his face. It looks like a skull void of any features. Instead of the baggy clothes he usually wears he has tight spandex that has light red indentations running through it like veins. A tan cloth floats behind him that looks like the end of a cloack without sleeves. Stephan doesn't look even close to human.

"Enough with the small talk. Time for some payback." He calls his keyblade.

I am so dead, dug my own grave. I remember the first time I killed him, the keyblade ripped open his side and was stuck in the lung. I cringe at the thought; I guess it is my turn.

Why didn't I keep my mouth shut?

Why didn't I just stay home today?

_**Thanks for the reviews awesome peeps X) and if you haven't sent in a review, please do. Annoyed, confused, content? whichever is fine. Thanks for reading this far, the end is nigh.**_


	18. What's Left Of a Heart

**Chapter 18**

"_Do not despair my friend. Today is theirs, but the future is ours."- Last Book in the Universe_

The clouds darken above our heads, making the day seem to vanish even though it is still with us. I wish for the sunlight as I glance up at the skies. I try to avert my gaze from Stephan. If I was to be killed by a firing squad, I would take the blindfold.

"You look terrified." Stephan tells me amused.

"…" You were going to die anyways, why not now, Sam? Why not now?

"Don't worry I don't plan on torturing you, just stealing your heart. A heart for the heartless." I can hear the smile in his voice, "Don't know what will happen to you, but we shall find out soon enough."

I just keep looking at the dark clouds. I wonder if there will be thunder and lightening…not that I would be here to notice.

"You are so quiet, no lame remarks today? Or has fear finally taped your mouth shut?"

Maybe I could snap him out of it, make him think twice before heart ripping. I laugh at the irony I come up with. "You do not yet realize your importance, you have only begun to discover your power." I take loud breaths. My Darth Vader impression was horrific, but there is no harm in trying, right?

"Interesting choice of last words." Stephan doesn't notice where the words came from. Stephan lifts up his blade pointing it at my heart. I squirm in the grasps of the three Floods.

"No matter how hidden and locked up your last spit of light is, I will find it easily and take it. I _am_ good with locks." My heart pounds at the sound of Stephan's threat.

Regret leaps at Stephan's mask causing him to take a step backward. Stephan pulls on the Flood to get it off, but Regret holds tight.

I take the diversion and call my keyblade. Sadness leaps away when it sees the key in the hand it was holding. I start beating at the other Floods. They weave easily around my swings. I don't land a single blow. They keep me stuck to the fence. Their holds on my limbs only loosen a little.

Stephan rips Regret off his mask and holds the squirming Flood by its head. He squeezes his fist shut. Regret explodes under the pressure leaving bits and pieces of darkness on the fence and the ground. They all slip unto the dirt and back into Stephan's skin.

My keyblade disappears. It reappears in Stephan's hand. He puts the blade under my chin. Blood drips down my neck and unto my shirt. "You are to weak to even think about wielding the keyblade." Stephan sneers. I see a glimmer in the distance. I grin. Not all hope is lost.

"Why did you wait until now, you monster? Is this only some stupid game for you and your buddies?" I yell as loud as I can. The key sinks deeper as I speak. I ignore the pain pleading me to give up.

"Shut up!" Stephan puts his own keyblade to my heart as a threat. My grin widens as I realize his hands are shaking. He can break after all.

"The universe didn't want you to begin with, freak! You should have listened to Ventus!" I guess and do my best to push the right buttons.

He hits me in the face with the back of his key then lets them both fall on my neck. Does he not care if he takes my heart anymore? The blades slowly move toward each other enclosing my neck within them. I let out a scream.

"Ventus is weak. He has always been weak." Hatred is thick in his voice. Anger twists my arm making it burn.

"That is wrong and you know it." I look directly at his mask as I say it. Thank you psychology teacher tri 2.

"You understand nothing, Pest." He spits at me.

An object whizzes through the air and breaks part of Stephan's mask revealing his right eye. We both turn to where the object came from. Christan stands 50 feet away with a crossbow. Patty stands beside him with an axe as he reloads.

Stephan my keyblade disappears as he catches the next arrow shot. I let out the breath I was keeping in as he lets the keyblades move away from my neck. He snaps the arrow, drops it on the ground, and starts walking toward Christan. Stephan is corporeal, that must be how Christan can see him. Oh, great that means he is stronger than he ever was before.

I hit Stephan in the back with my foot to draw his attention. Stephan ignores me, and teleports behind Christan. He is still in the middle of reloading another arrow as he peers over his shoulder and sees Stephan. Patty stands there like a post. I'm afraid to look as Stephan lifts his key.

Cling!

Mercy stands in between Christan and his doom. Her key reflects the light off the nearby lampposts. Mercy and Stephan's keys lock together. Stephan leaps back and shoots three fireballs at her. Mercy blocks the first two. Stephan teleports to Patty and swings his blade against Patty's shins. She falls over flat, the axe slices some of her arm on the way down. Patty yelps in pain. Her sound distracts Mercy who gets scorched with the last fireball. Patty lifts up the axe to defend herself. Stephan slashes it in half.

I squirm in the Floods' grasps. Damit, I can't just stand here!

Christan shoots Stephan with an arrow. He shuffles out of the way and brings his blade down on Patty's head. Mercy's keyblade soars through the air and hits Stephan's blade knocking it away from Patty's head. The key sinks into the dirt. Patty rolls away from the stuck keyblade, and tries to get up. She falls back down as her shins bubble in blood.

Stephan calls his keyblade back and sinks into the ground. His shadow moves under Christan's feet. "Watch out!" Patty yells at him. Christan tries to jump out of the way, but gets hit by Stephan and thrust upward. Stephan teleports back down. Christan falls down from the sky 50 feet away, he stays on the ground like a rag doll. Mercy glares at Stephan in her battle stance.

I gaze in horror. "Get off of me, pests!" I scream at the Floods. Lightning strikes down next to me. It disintegrates all the Floods holding me. I am left unharmed. Did I do that? I can smite enemies with lightning! I let out an evil laugh. (unintentionally of course)

Mercy cuts Stephan's shoulder. He takes a step back in pain and charges at her. He whips his key around her quickly. Mercy blocks every swing. Stephan flips backward gaining distance. Mercy throws her key at him. It circles Stephan a few times before slicing into his thigh. Stephan flinches in pain. He breathes heavily, exahausted by battling so many people. Stephan rises into the air. Mercy throws her keyblade again. It hits an unknown dark barrier.

I run over to Mercy and call my keyblade. It doesn't respond. I am so screwed.

Stephan shoots across the field, then teleports and shoots a different way. He's aiming for us. Stephan comes straight for me. I'm not able to scream. Mercy pulls me out of the way as Stephan whizzes by.

"Focus, Sam." Mercy tells me. Stephan leaps at her next. She takes a side step and spins her key. She cuts him in the split second that he passes her. He doesn't slow down though. Focus, Sam. Remember what you did before. I stare at the center of the field, and let the anger fill up in my heart. I lift up my arm with my fingers in a gun formation. Stephan shoots through the middle of the field.

"Bang." I say in a monotone voice. Lightning shoots through the sky and into Stephan's torso. He falls to the ground motionless. Mercy turns to me in awe, "What did you do?" She whispers.

After a moment Stephan moans and gets up wearily. He charges at me. An arrow sinks into his shoulder. He doesn't react to Christan's hit. Mercy runs at him. She swings her keyblade at his head. Stephan just ducks and hits his blade into her legs. She tumbles into the grass. She sits up holding her head, which had hit the ground first. Another arrow cuts through the wind, Stephan breaks it in half in mid air. I breathe calmly, my mind is clear of everything but this battle.

Stephan rushes closer. I have only seconds. 100 feet. 75 feet. 25 feet. Mercy's key rips through Stephan's stomach, he flips over and falls to the ground. Mercy yells from where she is sitting, "Hooray! We did it! Vanitas is gone!"

I run over to Stephan. When he dies he is NOT taking my keyblade with him. I kneel down over his body and yank his key out of his hands. After a couple seconds it disappears. I try calling my key back. Nothing happens. Both keys are gone.

I look down at Stephan his breathing is shallow. It won't be too long before he is gone for good.

"Had to go evil in the end, not that you were good to begin with." I say to myself. I glance at the hole in his mask. His right eye stares out from under it, without a pupil and without a soul behind it. My heart sinks. I remember how Stephan would always look deep into my eyes with that hopeful spark. Emotions flood through me. "Why did you do it?" I don't know who I'm talking to; Stephan, Mercy, or myself. I shouldn't be sad about his death. The freak was feeding off me like a freaking vampire...but something seems off about all of this.

"_Believe in the people around you. Their hearts are stronger than you think_." The fortuneteller's words echo through my head. Is this what she meant? Was the Stephan I knew, who he truly is, or just a mask? "_Yeah, Sometimes when I look up at the sky I can hear my heart beat. Like it is waiting for me to find it just beyond the atmosphere." _Did he ever have a heart or was he only acting? Gathering pity points, was that what you were doing, Stephan? "_A true magician never reveals his secrets_." Stephan is always hiding something. Is he afraid of people learning the truth? …Or does he wish people would believe the lies? _"What are you waiting for? Vanquish the evil."_ I'm not going to let you get away with all the shit you made me put up with. But… we can't win this without you. The heartless were the ones killing people and you are the only one that knows something about stopping them.

"_I get a second chance and I just mess everything up again." _ He diserves a fate worse then death for breaking reality and shattering so many people's lives. He should suffer and disappear. A tear falls down my check. "But then why does this feel so horrible." I think to myself and bite my lip. I wish everything was simple, but it never is. I rip out Mercy's keyblade and mouth the word cure like I've seen Stephan do a thousand times. He glows green and the wounds begin to vanish. I guess I am possessed after all.

"Here is your second chance, Stephan." He glances at me without emotion.

"…that's not my na-"

"What are you waiting for!" I yell at him, tears run down my face. I don't want to here him tell me the decision I made was the wrong one. "Get out of here." I whisper the last part. I can feel my friends glaring at me. "We need him to defeat the heartless." I reassure myself even though I know that is not the real reason I helped him.

His eyes suddenly brighten before he disappears.

A rustling sound starts up in the distant.

Mercy stomps over to me, "What are you thinking! We almost defeat the most evil thing in the universe, and what do you do? Heal it like a wounded bird and let it go off to kill someone else!"

"You understand nothing." I avert her gaze and look off into the distance.

"Maybe you should get your sanity checked! Vanitas is going to come back to kill you eventually, you know."

Christan steps in, "After all that work, you let him leave! We are bleeding here for saving _your_ life and you thank us by picking his side. Geez."

Patty just shyly says, "I thought you said you killed Stephan, Sam."

"That was Stephan!" Mercy and Christan say in unison. An awkward silence follows. I have no idea what to say, all the reasons I thought of before sound so stupid and shallow now. I faced the facts and still turned the other way. Maybe deep down I know that by killing him, the light he took from me would die too.

The rustling in the distance gets louder.

"Sure, save your abusive boyfriend, and leave us bleeding in the dust. Come on, Patty, let's go." Christan takes Patty's arm, he keeps her close so that she doesn't have to put so much weight on her bleeding shins. They start walking.

"Wait!" I call out to them. Patty looks back, but keeps walking with Christan.

Mercy follows them out. "You have doomed us all." She tells me quietly.

"I'm not the only one." I whisper. Mercy doesn't act like she heard me.

Thunder rumbles in the distance. The rain runs across the field and drenches all of us. The horrible stench of raw meat and road kill fills the air. I look at my hand. It is red. I turn my head to the sky. It's raining…blood?

Patty screams as her and Christan reach the hole in the fence. The road is infested with heartless. I glance at the side streets, also filled. We are surrounded by the moving darkness. Everyone steps back to the center of the field. The heartless creep closer, twitching as they sense our heartbeats quickening.

And I thought things couldn't get any worse.


	19. Through The Rain

**Chapter 19**

"_I am nothing more than I could have ever been." –Ciel, Black Butler_

Christan and Patty slowly walk back to the center of the field. Mercy does the same. I just keep turning as I look at the sheer number of heartless surrounding us. We eventually become back to back with each other. What do the heartless want? We are like what? Four hearts? Why would they gang up on us when only some of them would get the prize? If there were this many heartless around wouldn't I have noticed them walking up to the movie theater? Wait, they appeared right after Stephan, I mean Vanitas, was defeated and disappeared. Does that mean…

"We are so screwed." Christan breaks my train of thought.

"Maybe, not." Mercy says, she sounds a little unsure. Mercy takes out her cell phone and dials. "This is register number 1414, Mercy. There is a heartless invasion in sector 4 attacking three civilians, two of which are wounded." Mumbling answers her. She hangs up and stuffs the cell back into her pocket. We stand there in silence as the mob of heartless moves forward. We pray for our sorrows to end as we become drenched in the blood falling from the sky.

Bursts of light fill the air with loud bangs. We are all blinded by the bombs for a couple seconds. When the light clears the heartless are nowhere in sight. A bunch of people stand at equal distance apart in a circle around where the heartless were. They cheer. We breathe a sigh of relief and give Mercy high fives. She doesn't accept mine.

Suddenly a shadow bubbles up from the street. It is a whole lot taller than the other ones. Mercy stares at it in horror. She whispers, "A Neoshadow."

It takes three Guardians about 5 minutes to take down the first neoshadow. Another one pops up from the opposite side of the circle. Three more Guardians go after it.

"The light made them stronger, we need to go." I tell my friends.

"That's impossible, light destroys shadows that's why we use it." Mercy says matter-of-factly.

"No, it creates them." Two more neoshadows appear. "We need to go now!" I take Christan's and Mercy's arms and start to run toward Patty's house. Patty yelps in pain as she is dragged behind on her bleeding shins.

"Are you mad? We are fine, surrounded by people willing to help us." Christan tries to assure me. I use cure on Patty's shins.

"They are coming." I shake as I speak.

"You have lost it. There is nothing to be afraid of." Mercy comments with a smile. Her words make me want to puke.

"Don't you see? Light is what made Vanitas strong, and it is what makes these heartless stronger. We are destroying ourselves." I start to run again, my friends stay behind. I stop. "Why won't you listen to me! We can't stay here!" Glowing purple diamonds shower down from the sky slicing through the red rain. One lands by my foot. I start running for it, not caring if my friends follow. They all run after me fleeing from the bullets.

Braig yells behind us, "You can run, but you can't hide!"

More neoshadows leap out of the ground. We slide between them and the fighting. Some of the heartless get hit in the face by giant purple bullets as we run past them. One of the neoshadows sinks its claws deep into my shoulder as I run past. I yell in pain. A little blue monster jumps out of the ground and leaps onto its antenna. The shadow backs up and shakes its head trying to unlatch the Flood from it. The Flood scratches the heartless's head quickly and kicks it. The heartless vanishes. I look back at Regret and thank him as I run. Regret twitches and disappears into the chaos.

Mercy blocks some of the neoshadows' attacks as she runs past them. Every so often she would throw her keyblade at them. A few fall by her hand.

"We can't go to my house. What about Ryan!" Patty yells at me.

"That's why we need to go. For all we know the heartless are already there!" I yell back to her. Patty doesn't argue and speeds up a little. A flash of purple speeds through the air. I duck and one of Braig's bullets flies right over my head. "We have to lose this guy." I think to myself. I look over the chaos for Braig. He is nowhere to be found.

A fighting Guardian accidentally elbows Christan in the face. He falls to the ground. Mercy pulls Christan back to his feet by his arm. A purple diamond goes flying at them. Mercy blocks it with her keyblade. The bullet ricochets off the metal and sinks into a neoshadow's back. The heartless falls to the ground in pain. Christan starts running again. Mercy follows close behind. She keeps looking over her shoulder for bullets.

Braig teleports infront of me, "Hello, sweetheart, I see you." He says with a grin. Braig is floating upside down in the air. I glare at him for a moment. He aims at me. Lightning shoots down from the sky and straight through Braig. I grin and continue running.

We reach Patty's house after 10 minutes of running. The heartless follow us all the way here, but when we arrive they stay at the end of the sidewalk leading up to the house and only hiss at us in frustration. Patty fusses with the keys and we all race in and slam the door shut behind us. We all fall to the floor breathing heavily. All of us are completely soaked and our clothes are stained red through and through. The house is unusually quiet compared to the heartless screeching outside.

Footsteps from the kitchen run toward us. Patty slowly gets up. "Ryan!" She yells between breaths. Ryan runs into her legs knocking her over. "I was so scared, Patty! There were monsters everywhere!" Tears run down his face. He is covered in blood. I pray it is only the rain.

"Are you hurt?" Mercy asks.

"I'm ok." Ryan smiles at her through the tears and snot.

"Don't worry we are here now." Patty continues after she realizes the crumbs on the little kid's face. "Have you been in the cookies again?"

I look out the window at the heartless. More of them have gathered, but none of them move closer to the house than the end of the sidewalk.

Ryan looks down at the floor, "No."

"Don't lie to me."

"Well, maybe one."

"What did I say?"

"But Patty I was sharing!"

Silence fills the room. I thought Ryan was the only one in the house besides us. Patty seems to think the same thing and slowly walks to the kitchen. We follow behind her. A boy with dark hair and a hoodie sits at the kitchen table.

"Want an Oreo?" Stephan asks. We just stand there unbelieving at Stephan.

"I'll have another one." Ryan chimes and starts walking toward Stephan. Patty holds him back.

"Why did you come here? Do you have a death wish?" Christan barks at him. He pulls his hands into fists, but doesn't move any closer.

"Can't you just be happy that the kid wasn't mauled by heartless?" Christan's gaze hardens at Stephan's words.

"You are not welcome here, Vanitas. We spared you once. This time we will not be so generous." Mercy snarls and calls her keyblade.

Stephan lounges in the kitchen chair unamused by the threat. He finishes chewing a cookie. "Well, enough about me. Sam, don't you have some unfinished business to attend to?"

Patty, Christan and Ryan turn to me expecting a reply. I just stare off into space. Unfinished business? But it can't _be_ finished, I can't find the keyhole. I don't even know where to look. The fortuneteller said it was hidden in plain sight to keep the heartless from it. That could be anywhere on the globe.

"The light switch." I whisper to myself as I scratch through my thoughts. Stephan just keeps staring at my face like he is reading my thoughts. Then it hits me. I know where it is. I grab Mercy's keyblade and race up the stairs. Mercy is close behind me. "Give me back my keyblade!" Everyone else follows behind us with curiosity.

I smile when I see the locked door in the hallway. Patty moved here a year ago, about the same time that Stephan broke through reality. By reality shattering, the keyhole was created. The key that was used to open this door was lost about a year ago as well, but it wasn't really lost. It is the giant key in my hand that was given to Mercy. Breaking reality switched where things were and what they were. The lock on Patty's door became the security system that keeps the world's light safe. The light switch is inside that lock. I just need to lock it and relock it again with the right key.

I stand in front of the door and hold out the key. Mercy tackles me to the floor.

"Give me back my key, thief!"

"Do you want to save the world, or not?" I yell back at her. A Flood leaps through the air and hits Mercy square in the face, she tumbles over. I stand up and face the light switch again. A beam of light shoots from the keyblade to the lock. A loud crack echoes through the house from the lock as the seal protecting it breaks. I hear crashing behind me. I look toward the sound. Some heartless are worming their way through the windows in the computer room across from us. The light at the end of Mercy's keyblade disappears. I gulp. "Is this it?" I think to myself.

Someone grabs my hand. My head whips around. Stephan puts my keyblade in my other hand.

"Are you going to lock it, or what?" Stephan asks.

I point the two keys at the light switch shining within the lock. Dark and light energy shoot from the two keys and wrap around each other as they pour into the lock. A loud clicking noise sounds.

Crash! A giant heartless hand rips through the side of Patty's house. Her computer room is completely annihilated. Ryan and Patty scream on the staircase as they see the giant heartless and the wreckage.

"I thought you said the heartless would be gone after the keyhole is sealed!" I yell at Stephan.

"What! I never said that!"

Mercy rips her key out of my hands, "Well, isn't this great? So much for saving the world."


	20. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

**Chapter 20**

"_Climbing like a son of a bitch, clawing his way up inch by fucking inch, and then it all came crashing down at once."-In the Lake of the Woods_

Mercy only hesitates for a second before leaping at the giant heartless's eyes. She puts her whole weight into a downward slash twirling herself around smashing the keyblade into the face almost continuously. As she falls out of the flip she swings her leg around scraping her boot through the creatures eyes. Her keyblade quickly follows her assault path. The heartless's hand reaches for Mercy. Mercy elbows the monster's fingers pushing them away from her face. She spins around following her elbow and sinks the keyblade into one of the tendons in the demon's hand. She leaps onto the hand as the heartless roars in pain. Mercy rips the key out of it and runs up the thrashing monster's arm.

Stephan and I take care of the smaller heartless as they skitter across the floor. Christan runs down to the garage to grab a chainsaw. Patty grabs a chair and protects Ryan as best she can. The bloody rain begins to burn our skin as it washes out everything.

A heartless leaps at my face. I twirl my keyblade around knocking the heartless to the ground. When I end the swing I reverse direction and stab downward into the small shadow's head. The shadow explodes on contact in a poof of darkness and a pink heart. I spin around in time to slice apart one behind me before it attacks my back. I wipe the blood water out of my eyes before going after the next shrimp.

Ryan screams as a heartless creeps closer to him and Patty. Patty throws a chair down on top of the demon. She puts all of her strength onto the chair keeping the heartless trapped. Ryan takes off a shoe and starts beating the caged heartless with it.

Stephan runs at another heartless as it leaps toward Patty. He crushes it in mid air and teleports to the next one. He swings the keyblade up into the air destroying the demon. Stephan throws the key into the air, and catches the key backwards. Heartless encircle him. Stephan flips the key around his forefinger. The crazy key crashes madly into the heartless sending them backwards. Stephan teleports to each one stabbing them forcefully before moving to the next one. Blood from his cut up finger drips down the blade with each downward swing.

Mercy lets out a battle cry as she runs across the giant monster's shoulders cutting her blade deep into its throat. As Mercy reaches the left shoulder she jumps into the air and chucks her keyblade. The key rings around the neck slicing deeply. The heartless's head rolls off into Patty's yard. It makes a loud thud as it lands. Mercy does a flip before landing on the top floor of the wrecked house. She takes back her breath as the heartless vanishes and the pink heart is released.

Another two giant heartless take the last one's place. Mercy groans, "Why don't you just die!" She takes a step back before charging at them. Stephan takes the first move from her. He leaps into the air and disappears. He later reappears infront of the monsters' faces, and scratches them both quickly with unseen swings. Both giant heartless fall to the ground. Stephan lands with them before he disappears. Mercy and I stare down at the heartless from the edge of the broken house.

"What the-, where did he?"

"Finally, he's gone. About time." Mercy tells me as she leaps down onto the grass to finish off the heartless. A machine growls in the distance. I zap two shadow heartless with lightning. Each time I send down the lightning attack it gets harder to focus. Mercy isn't looking too good either. A bit worn out, but so are the rest of us. How long can we fight like this anyway? The humming gets louder.

In a flash a motorcycle buzzes through the sidewalk and through the giant heartless' faces. Stephan twists the bike around and goes over them again with his keyblade shooting sparks against the sidewalk as he passes by. Before Stephan gets past Patty's neighbor's house he leaps off the cycle and flips into the air. The motorcycle spins out of control and into a post. The post falls into the ground smothering five heartless as they were traveling toward the house.

An bomb like explosion of light fills our eyes. All of the heartless disappear but in their place new neo shadows emerge. I yell in frustration, "You, idiots! Try something else!" The guardians circle around Stephan with swords, clubs and crossbows. I leap into the center of the circle with Stephan. "We need all the force we can get. Aim those weapons at the heartless." I tell them.

They just laugh. One snorts, "He's the reason they are here! They are following him. Why else would your lawn be the only one the heartless are interested in."

"The keyhole is here that's why. Stephan was protecting the house."

"The Destroyer is as good as heartless fodder!" The female Guardian's words strike a nerve. The fortuneteller said that I was The Destroyer, but that was before reality shattered. Am I the one that was suppose to be at fault here? If Stephan never came would I have summoned the heartless? Did he take my fate?

"Sam, stop protecting me. Just get out of here." Stephan tells me quietly. I roll my eyes at his words.

"Protecting you? Don't give me that crap. I'm not letting you get a one way ticket to hell until you dispose of the heartless you brought!" I yell at him.

"The heartless won't disappear don't you get it! That freak opened the door and now the heartless can stroll in here whenever they please. The only thing we can do is punish the one responsible!" A boy yells as he points a sword in Stephan's face.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." A voice yells from a distance. A purple diamond whizzes through the air. The bullet sinks into Stephan's foot. He stumbles from the pain. I look for the attacker. A man stands on top of a neighbor's roof. His ponytail twitches in the wind. "Braig." I hiss in disgust.

"Out of the way, bozos, leave Spikes to me." Braig fires ten rounds of ammo. The Guardians leap for cover. The heartless wait at the edges of the crowd to happily greet them. The Guardians run unprepared into the new danger. Blood shoots into the air as the heartless feast on their outnumbered victims. A Guardian chucks another light bomb. The heartless multiply. Their weak weapons swing through the air without purpose. The Guardians can only gaze in horror as their firepower and blades only tickle the high powered monsters they've created. Bodies begin to litter the ground.

I jump into an attack position with eyes fixed on Braig. All the screams in the background become nothing but white noise to me.

"This is my fight." Stephan growls at me as he arises from the ground. He throws the bullet that was in his foot onto the ground. His voice sounds exhausted and annoyed. I realize his hair has lightened in some spots back to the sandy blonde it was when I first saw him. I glance at his foot; it is bleeding like crazy. He should have healed it already. Suddenly it dawns on me, he is using up all of his strength. "_The guy has been feeding off you! Without you he would have vanished already." _Braig's words played over in my mind. Is Stephan really just going to let himself disappear?

"I gave you a chance to live, but business is business. Your parole is up, Vanitas." Braig reloads his guns.

"Yeah right, I don't die that easily." Stephan snickers and leaps at Braig. In his defense, Braig takes a step back and shots a couple rounds and his attacker. Stephan brushes each bullet away and slices deeply across Braig's shoulders. The fake pirate stammers back from the wounds and lets out a rapid fire response. Stephan dodges the first couple bullets, but is blasted off the roof by the last rounds. Stephan shoots a series of fireballs back at Braig

"What are you doing standing there? Heartless are still here." Mercy taps me on the shoulder. I come back from the fog of my mind.

"Huh? Oh. But what about…?" I mumble as I glance at her before looking back at the fight on the roof.

"Leave them. People are dying here." Mercy inches closer to the mob of heartless.

"Saving them won't solve anything."

"And standing around will? Your 'friend' might have brought them here, but I bet he has no idea how to get them to leave."

Braig leaps down from the rooftop and shoots five more rounds at Stephan. "You tired already? Too bad, you didn't go back to Xehnort. You could have stayed out of this mess." Stephan crawls away on the ground with his right leg twisted in an odd direction. He faces Braig and barely teleports away from each bullet.

Mercy runs back onto the battlefield slashing at heartless left and right. A heartless lunges at me. Without thinking, I stab it through with my keyblade. I glance back at Stephan's battle before running into the midst of the fighting. A giant Neo shadow picks me up. I struggle in its grasp and chop at it with my key. The keyblade does little damage. With its other hand the heartless reaches for my heart. I shut my eyes. Whack! A giant metal bat hits the heartless.

"How do you like my swing?" Ryan says with a grin. I take his hand as I run him toward a safe spot…which seems to be basically nowhere within 5 miles. I decide to bring him into the house. He could hide there with the doors locked.

"Should have had your energy bar before this, then you might have given a better fight." Braig snickers and reloads his gun. He fires again sending too many bullets for Stephan to dodge. They get stuck in his arms and chest.

Stephan winces in pain and glares up at Braig. "Shut up."

"Ha ha, protecting your girl? Remember, she doesn't care. Is it just me or didn't she tell you a couple of minutes ago to go to hell?" Braig walks toward Stephan slowly, savoring each moment of victory.

Stephan looks at the ground as he speaks. "That doesn't matter. None of it matters anymore."

Out of nowhere a swirling ball of fire and water blasts through the air and explodes in Braig's face. Braig keels over unconscious. His clothes blacken in the dancing flames. A horrible smell radiates from them.

A scrawny man dragging a giant cannon walks over to the burning body. He takes out a fire blanket from a backpack and smothers the flames. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but you shouldn't attack friends. Don't be dead. You good? You don't look dead. Nope, not dead. Just unconscious…very unconscious." The man throws a bottle of liquid to Stephan, and starts folding up the fire blanket.

Stephan awkwardly catches the bottle in both hands, "What is this?"

"A gift, but don't save it. You need it now. That's why I gave it to you now, drink it."

Stephan looks at the container questioning the liquid inside, and pulls the cork. The supposibly digestible liquid reeks of strong soap and raw meat. Stephan puts the bottle as far from his nose as possible.

"Just drink it! Most things that are good for you smell bad. Do you want to feel better or not?"

"No thanks, Gramps. I don't need your crazy concoction." Stephan throws the bottle back to the man. He groans as he slowly gets up from the ground and starts to limp a way. Stephan rips out bullets from his ches and arms as he walks. The man shakes the bottle with his thumb over the top and sprays Stephan with it. It burns his skin as it touches the wounds. Stephan turns around with a death glare that would have spewed black flames if his power wasn't draining.

"Don't give me that look I did you a favor, I did. Healed you up real good. What I gave you is a potion. They actually taste good, but no, you wouldn't drink it." The man said mockingly. He picked up the folded blanket and strapped it to his back.

Stephan doesn't say a word and starts walking back to the heartless battle reeking of potion.

"Wait, Ven!" The man calls to Stephan. He doesn't answer. "Ven, stop for a second!"

"You are talking to the wrong person." Vanitas spits back at the old man as he continues walking.

"If you are not who you are then who are you?"

"The one that got everyone into this mess."

"Why don't you just clean it up?"

Stephan turns around and stomps over to the man. "The heartless are flocking here, and people are dieing by the second. Got any bright ideas? Know what the last piece of the puzzle is?" He yells into his face. "Well? Spit it out!"

The man grimaces at the boy's words before speaking calmly, "The world has given you answers. Can't you see them?"

Stephan laughs, "Answers? This world hasn't given me squat! It has been yelling at me to die and tearing me apart this whole time! This bloody world is stripping me of any power that I could use to destroy these fucking heartless! I have no time left in this stupid game of fate and neither does anyone else." Stephan looks down at the ground. His blonde hair glimmers slightly in the flickering light of a nearby lamppost.

"Your coming here has changed so many lives, and in turn changed yours, Ven. Without fate you wouldn't have gotten this far. This world gave you hope when you needed it through a friend you learned to care for." The man looked into Vanitas' dark brown eyes although Vanitas avoided the eye contact.

"That doesn't matter. Nothing is left to defeat the darkness."

"Defeating it is not the problem. Darkness cannot be defeated any way, only channeled."

"Channeled?" Vanitas asks. The man nods. Stephan recognizes the words from an old teacher. His eyes are filled with fear as he looks up to the sky like he is looking for something. Then Stephan runs off to finish the fight he started.

* * *

><p>I shoo Ryan inside Patty's house I tell him to find a corner of the house and keep a knife with him. It is too dangerous out here for anyone, let alone a little boy. In the distance I see the caretaker of the church talking to Stephan. Whatever it is Stephan doesn't look too pleased to hear it. I run into Patty's garage and find as many possible weapons as I can; regular saw, hatchet, chains, a shovel, and a three pronged rake. "Excellent." I tell myself with a smile. I pick up the shovel and run toward Mercy. She is surrounded by neo shadows. I chuck the shovel like a lance. It slices through three heartless. Mercy easily chops down the other two.<p>

"Sam's back in action." She says inbetween breaths and runs off toward more heartless. Just before I can run after her the ground begins to shake. All the heartless freeze for a second before sinking into the ground. The shadows and the Neoshadows flee quickly away from the fighting area. Christan turns off the chainsaw he was fighting with and frantically looks for the cause of the heartless's fear.

"Tired already!" I yell at them with a giant smile on my face. A giant roar answers me. The low bellow echoes off everything as it comes up from the ground. The shaking suddenly worsens and a crack forms in the middle of the street. The crack creaks and widens. Stephan notices the split and jumps to the side with all of our team on it. The divide reaches a foot in width. A guardian just realizes the fissure's appearance. He runs over to it and leaps over it as he tries to reach his friend on the other side. Mid jump the crack widens to the width of a street, a large claw emerges from depths. It grabs the jumper and slams them into the side he was originally on. He is unable to scream due to the swiftness of the action and the quick death that soon followed. We stare up at the dark hand in awe. Our deaths are written on it.

"We can't let that thing out of the canyon!" Mercy yells. The guardians lift their weapons and run at it. They start chopping at the hand with lances, swords and axes.

"That thing is too big for us to stop with just swords, we need real force. We need something we can drop down that hole, or fire power." Christan points out.

"We have fireworks!" Patty yells and runs into the house.

I run over to the pile of supplies I dug out from the garage. I look through it. "None of this is going to work, it probably won't hurt it one bit."

Stephan looks over my shoulder at the weapons pile. He notices the chainsaw Christan is carrying. Stephan looks at it with a psychotic grin. The blonde boy yanks it out of Christan's hands. Stephan whispers to me, "I got a plan."

Mercy goes pale. "Oh crap, oh crap, shit shit shit!" She stares at the monstrous claw. "Don't tell me it got worse." I groan. Mercy doesn't respond the look of horror in her eyes makes me feel already dead. I look up at the claw. Did it get larger? Another hand has emerged from the ground. A group of what look like zombies walk toward us. Each one has a Guardian's weapon. "We're in hell." I whisper. In the background a guardian leaps at one of the claws. The hand just sweeps through the guardian. Instantly they fall to the ground and a small light emerges from the guardian's chest and goes into the giant monster. The monster increases in size. After a little while the guardian gets up and follows the zombies with the same glazed over look as the others.

Patty runs out of the house juggling a bunch of bottle rockets and giant ground fireworks. She takes a bottle of bug spray out of her pocket and a lighter. "What's the plan?" Patty coughs out.

"We hit them with everything we got, and if that doesn't work we light the chainsaw on fire." Stephan yells with much pride. We just stare at him in disbelief.

"I got a better idea." I put in. "Patty, take all the rakes from your garage and set them up so that the zombies will step on them. I'll set up the fireworks by the creature. Christan you follow behind me with the lit bug spray. Stephan, take out as many zombies as you can. Mercy, you throw as many freakin' spells that you know at the creature. Everyone move out!"

Patty runs into the garage for the rakes. Stephan drops the chainsaw on the ground and leaps into battle. I pick up the fireworks and race for the cliff. Mercy runs beside me chopping up zombies as we pass them. One falls at my feet I leap over it and balance at the edge of the cliff. I start setting up the fireworks.

Mercy winds up a wind spell, she combines it with a ice spell and throws it at the claws. The creature barely flinches at it and reaches for Mercy. She leaps out of the way and chucks her key at it. The keyblade slips through the creature like hitting air. I finish placing all the fireworks. Christan runs by lighting the bugs spray on fire as it shoots out the nozzle. All the fireworks begin to fizzle. Christan and I run back to protect the house and Ryan within it. Mercy hides behind a car while she shoots spells at the claws from a distance.

The zombies quickly diminish in number. None of them get up after they have been stuck down. Stephan is in constant movement launching from one end of the block to another and leaping up from the ground. I slash through the ones close to me and leap into the air sending my key down at them. Christan burns their faces with the flaming spray. The rakes trip any of the zombies that come too close. The wooden sticks knock them out cold. Patty runs to them with a scythe ending their terror. Corpses lay all over the yard from different parts of the battle.

The fire works explode at the giant hands in bright colors. The creature grows larger. Once again the divide widens. The claws hold onto the side of the cliff and pulls itself up. A ferocious head of teeth and yellow eyes arises from the ground. Mercy runs at the head as it rises. She sets her keyblade into a ready position. The mosturous hand moves toward her. Mercy leaps over it, but she misjudges the distance and falls into the giant crevase. All of us wince. We know going too close to the monster even to save someone is too risky.

"None of this world can keep me down since that wretched human unleashed my binds. This world and all other worlds shall be consumed by my hatred." The demon roars.

I pick up the chainsaw, "Light it on fire, huh?" Stephan looks over his shoulder at me and smiles. He takes the chainsaw from my hands. "I throw the chainsaw while you light the fuel tank with your lightning. Got it?" Stephan explains. I nod.

"On my count!" He runs toward the monster, and zips up the chainsaw. It revs to life. "Now!" He yells as he chucks the chainsaw at the monster. I focus and send a strike of lightning through the chainsaw and into the ground. The chainsaw bursts into flames in mid air before running into the monster's teeth and falls into the divide. The monster just laughs at the attempt, and sprays a dark fume across the yards. I hold my nose. Christan and Patty faint from the fumes. Their lights float from their chests into the huge creature.

"Christan! Patty!" I yell. I stop myself before I run to them as I see them getting up with a dazed look in their eyes. "You bastard!" I yell at the beast and run toward it, keyblade drawn.

"Remember what I told you Ven!" The caretaker yells from across the street. The monster turns to the man and smashes him with its fist.

"Sam, stop!" Stephan cries out as he sees me charging. I take no notice of him and focus on the beast. Anger and hatred bubble up inside me. I shower the street with crashes of lightning like a strobe light. I leap at its hand sending a series of strokes through it. Each one is less resourceful then the last. I fall to the ground with a roll and quickly get up and take a running start. I fly through the air and slice through the head. As I start to fall downward I teleport back up and continue dicing. "You can't win!" I cry out as I send more lightening and teleport around him delivering more cuts that the demon can't feel. I fall to the ground tumbling in an awkward position. "Take this you, freak." I huff. I throw my keyblade. It rides an air current circling the demonic creature multiple times. It rips through its claws and eyes and teeth.

Stephan runs toward me. I shake with adrenaline. My knees buckle. Stephan catches me before I hit the ground. My keyblade finishes its journey and sticks itself into the ground beside me. It disappears with a faint light.

The monster laughs at the display, "A meaningless effort you, pathetic wench! An all powerful being cannot be destroyed by mere force." The low voice echoes off the street. The demon raises its arm with a victorious grin. "Let it be the end!" He drops his claw onto Stephan and me.

A deep cold seeps through me and yanks at my consciousness. The air from my lungs leaps out of me as the claw lifts from my body. My vision begins to blurr. Stephan on the other hand seems to feel none of the effects of the demon's claw. My fuzzy vision sees a light rise from me. It's soft glow of contentment and hope leaving me sends a tear down my cheek. "This is it." I whisper to myself sadly and painfully.

Before the light falls into the beast's hands Stephan reaches up and snags it from the air, it sinks into him. He looks down at me with eyes filled with regret. Stephan bends over and kisses me strongly on the lips. A small light seeps from him and into me.

"Thank you for everything. I'm sorry you had to meet me." He says solemnly as he strokes my hair and lays me down on the street. He teleports away for a second and comes back with a light grenade that the guardians were using an hour or two before.

"Surrender, Empty One and I won't destroy you." The demon hisses.

Stephan pays no mind to its threatening words. He throws up the grenade and catches it like a ball. "Light and darkness are two sides of a coin. The more light there is the more darkness there is. But what happens when the lights go out?" Stephan ponders as he looks at the grenade. He smiles with knowledge of the answer to his own question. The last piece of the puzzle has been realized.

"Do you think I care about your riddles, Empty One?" Monster roars.

Stephan teleports to the top of the demons head. He smiles, "When the lights go out…The shadows disappear." He crushes the light grenade in his fist. It bursts covering him in a veil of light. The light covers up his shadow for a second before his shadow expands. It consumes the light and flows out like a ripple engulfing everything. The darkness dissolves the light of the demon's yellow eyes, the lampposts and all that it sees before it. The rippling black crosses over the horizon and keeps going covering the whole world in a sea of darkness. Then just like waking up from a dream, it all vanishes.

**What happened to Stephan? Is he lost forever? Was the world saved, or distroyed completely? What about Sam and Ryan? Did they survive, or become nothing but ash? One last scene is left before completion. Thanks for reading all 80 some pages, its insane. I'm truely grateful.**

**So how did you like it...TheEnd?**


	21. What Is Left

**Chapter 21**

"_Everything, all at once. It is not one springtime, but fifty, and not one or two great terrors flown away, but a thousand small shadows lifted from the land. Wait and see." -The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle_

"Sam, wake up! …Please?" Stephan's voice reaches me in my dark thick slumber.

"You can't sleep all day." I recognize the whiny voice of my dead brother. My heart melts.

"Issac-" I mumble sadly, Patty cuts me off.

"You can't lay around here all day! We have better stuff to do."

"Sam, You can sleep when you're dead. Get up." Christan adds.

I remember my two friends falling to the ground and the lights being lifted from Christan and Patty's chests, and a giant darkness encircling Stephan. I start to shake as the tears start rolling down my face.

"You have to move on. Crying will do nothing for anyone." Christan points out with a smile in his voice. The loneliness creeps into me, cutting into anything that can bleed. "But you are gone…you are all dead." I whisper making the tears not crack my voice.

"You are blind." Stephan snorts. The phrase struck a cord in me.

"Excuse me?"

"You can't see what is around you."

"There is nothing around me! Only darkness." I yell at him.

"Then maybe you should try opening your eyes."

"Smart ass." I grumble. He just laughs at me. Open my eyes? Sounds like some metaphor; my eyes are open. I take a deep breath. Think, Sam, think. I close my eyes and let myself relax. Then I gently open them.

A bright light shines as the darkness lifts with my eyelids.

-I twist the key in the lock, and let the screen door slam behind me. I drop my keys into my book bag and switch hands for holding my thermos. It's way to early for the sun to be up, yet there it was. I take a swig of coffee out of habit. I got the best sleep I had in ages, but I still catch my eyes growing heavy. I must not be use to the early mornings yet.

I yawn and take a couple steps toward the library. My head turns toward the side. It takes me a second to realize I am staring up at the hill. Shouldn't someone be up there? I shake the question out of my head. No one is ever up there. An empty feeling creeps up into the pit of my stomach. I walk up the stairs to the main entrance of the library, counting each step that I take, trying to clear my mind. I swing open the door at the top of the steps.

"Zoning out?" Lola asks. I almost run into a cart by the counter. "No" I grumble and take a gulp of coffee. I walk behind the desk and lounge in a chair, staring at my thermos. "Were you dumped? You look grumpier than usual."

"I was not dumped, I'm not even dating" I take a sip of coffee, with Lola its always about boys, can't she just get a life. I snicker at my own comment, what am I talking about? All I do is work, talk about no life.

"O great she's lost it"

"I never had it," I answer.

I pull out a stack of books from under the desk and start my work. As I stamp books Lola drowns on about her crush, Josh. Sounds like a complete jerk to me, not that I am listening much. A boy with sand colored hair walks over to the help desk.

"Could you help me find a book I'm looking for?" He asks politely. I have a complete Déjà vu moment and just stare at the 14 year old boy blankly.

"So, which book are you looking for, sir?" Lola asks the boy after she realizes I am out of service. I shake my head releasing myself from my funk and try to focus on stamping books. I can't help but eavesdrop on the conversation. Grrr, why does it feel so familiar?

The boy blushes and messes with his glasses. I guess he has never been called sir before. "I'm looking for a book on traveling dimensions," he finally mumbles.

"Sci-fi or Non-fiction?" Lola asks with a bright smile.

"Umm, non-fiction, it is a science assignment." The boy kicks his feet around awkwardly.

"T-there are two books," I tell Lola. I write down their number codes and hand it to her. She gives me a weirded out look, but helps the kid find the books without questioning me.

I must have looked up those books before to be able to know the call numbers, but I don't remember doing so. That empty feeling settles in again. I take a deep breath and focus on my work.

Lola comes back a moment later, "How did you know the call numbers? OMG, what happened? Your eyes are watery. Were you crying? Just tell me what's wrong." She whispers to me.

"What?" I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand and am surprised to realize it is wet. "It's nothing. I must've gotten something in my eye."

"You know you can talk to me, right? If anything is bothering you, just tell me, ok?"

"I told you it is nothing! I'm fine. Worry about yourself." I grumble. Lola just nods and stares at her piles of books without another word.

-I finish up my work, and put the books on a cart for Lola to put away. I pick up my book bag and mug, not even trying to say good-bye to Lola (she is too busy on the phone with Josh anyway.)

I take a step out the door and take my first breath of freedom; the day is beautiful, not too hot and not too humid. The happy screams of children chatter in the playground near by.

I flinch at the sight of a dark shadow laying on the patio outside the library and down the steps. The thick rusty smell of blood scorches my nostrils. I blink and behind my eyelids a silhouette of a dead body twisted on the steps emerges. I hit the sides of my head with my fists and stare at my feet trying to break away from the image. "It is just your imagination, Sam." I whisper to myself, but the words don't feel right. "What is wrong with me?" I take a step back and slide down the library wall onto the patio stone. My hands are shaking uncontrollably. There is no body, only a dark shadow of a tree.

"Come on, kids, we have to go this way to get back to the daycare." A girl's voice yells from the bottom of the stairs. She waits a minute before walking up the steps. The girl is followed by many pairs of footsteps quickly leaping toward the patio.

I brush tears off my eyelids hoping none of the kids in the daycare will notice me. Not that my luck has been with me today.

"Are you okay?" A child about the age of 5 asks me. Her little face is full of concern.

"I'm fine. You should go back to your group leader." I smile at her and try to politely brush her off.

The little girl drops onto her knees and digs into a small pocket on her little white dress. "I have something I want to give you."

"Huh? You don't have to give me anything. I'm just a stranger. Didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"

"My Daddy told me that even strangers can help each other out. Hold out your hand." Her smile makes my heart melt. I do as she asks. The girl drops something cool and round in my hand and quickly closes her little hands around my fist concealing the object from my eyes.

"What is it?"

"Hope, keep it with you and you will never forget how to smile."

"I don't really-"

"I insist!" The girl looks kinda nervous about me taking it, like she doesn't know if someone will later tell her she made a bad decision.

"Karen! The group is waiting for you!" A girl about fourteen yells her red hair is tied up in a French braid.

"I'm coming!" Little Karen yells back. She gives me a shy wave and skips back to her buddies.

I slowly open my hand revealing the green marble the little girl gave me. I shuffle the marble in my hand, and raise it up to the sunlight. Something within the circular glass glitters. Suddenly, pictures and knowledge flash through my mind, a silhouette on a hill, a red haired girl with a giant scar, black and blue monsters fighting each other, an odd looking pirate with two purple guns and an evil a grin, a man who speaks nonsense, Patty and Christan falling to the ground never to get back up, and a boy with black hair smiling beside a monster as a bright light is chased by darkness. Stephan. Where did he…?

My eyes focus back on reality and the green marble as the kids walk down the stairs chasing after each other. I stand up and stare down at them. I recognize two people in the group; the red haired girl and Karen, the girl in the white dress. I smile to myself. Karen, I only saw her for an instant before. She was under a tree with a chair knocked from under her with a twisted look on her face, but here she is now, running around with Mercy of all people. I laugh to myself. Mercy turns her head to check on the kids falling behind. I realize that her scar is missing like it never happened. I clutch the marble tightly in my hand. "Hope." I whisper.

-I run down to the church hoping to look for the crazy guy who worked there or Stephan chilling on one of the couches. I whisper to myself, "Please have answers." I throw open the door and almost run over a tall guy with a pile of books.

"Hey! Watch-

"I'm looking for a guy that works here. He is about 5' 11", mumbles to himself and loves Oreos." I speak quickly.

"That sounds like George. He only comes here once a month to talk to his old teacher, Sister Helen, I think." The man says monotonely and walks over to a table and plops the books down.

I thought the man said before that his teacher died of cancer, I must be mistaken. I groan, "Thanks anyway." I speed out of the house and up the block to Patty's house. I stomp onto the doorstep and ring the bell. I hear yelling inside the house.

"Why won't you believe me! You never listen, never! You are the worst sister ever!" Ryan yells and pulls open the door. He almost knocks me over as he runs past. Patty steps out a moment later with her hair in every direction. She looks like she is going off 3 hours of sleep. "Hi, Sam." She grumbles.

"What was that all about?"

"Ryan has been freaking out lately. First, last night he woke me up every five minutes telling me there are 'living shadow monsters' in his room. Second, I finally let him sleep in my room in my bed and he kicks and screams the rest of the night. Lastly, he wakes up in this obnoxious mood talking about some angel exploding or something. That brother of mine is going to kill me one of these days, I swear."

"WHAT! HE REMEMBERS!" I freak and run in the direction Ryan was heading. Patty just facepalms and goes back inside.

-I finally catch up to him. Ryan is in a playground sitting on a swing. Moms, Dads and children laugh happily around him enjoying the nice day. Ryan stares at his foot as he digs a small hole into the sand. I walk to him gasping for air, and take the swing next to him.

"Patty sent you, didn't she?" Ryan mumbles angrily.

"Nope." There is a long pause as I wait for Ryan to say something. I don't want to bombard him with questions when he is pissed off like this. Listening can give better answers half the time anyway.

"I…I didn't make anything up! What I saw was real!" His hands shake as they grasp tightly to the swing chains.

"I believe you. I remember it all, too." I give him a sad smile. There is a long pause before I continue. "Do you know what happened to Stephan?"

Ryan gulps down tears, "He's gone. Everything he ever was is…gone, like it never even happened; and he was never here."

I smile and touch the marble in my pocket. "I doubt he's completely gone. Stephan is sturdy." I laugh, "Nothing can slow him down. Darkness never dies."

"Then where did he…?" Ryan's voice cracks a little.

"Back to where he belongs, back before he came here." I speculate and make sure Ryan doesn't here the uncertainty in my voice. Stephan was always too good at hiding, searching for him won't do us any good. If he wants to be found he will find us. "_A true magician never reveals his secrets_." He said once, but why does his last trick have to be a disappearing act.

"He told me once that he use to travel to many different worlds. He would travel almost constantly, and that staying in one place was nice for a change, being able to meet people instead of just passing through. I think Stephan wanted to stay here." Ryan looks up at me and I am unable to meet his gaze.

"Too bad things couldn't of turned out differently." I remember faintly the dream Stephan and I shared, so full of laughter. Was that dream never an option even if events unfolded differently?

"Yeah." Ryan nods and steps out of the swing. "I better go back to my sister before she begins to worry. ...Sam?"

"What?"

"Thanks." Ryan forces a smile on his face and walks home.

I sit alone with my thoughts, pondering. I wonder where Stephan could be among the stars and how reality can be broken and fixed so easily. I look up skyward. In the distance, past the noise of children and through the clouds, I hear the faint beat of a heart.

_**FIN! That's it. Thanks again awesome peeps, with all your patience and so on. I hope this chapter sums everything up, if there is a hole please tell me. Took me forever to finish this sucker and upload it, but it all pays off in the end.**_


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